Altered Destinies
by Kynthia
Summary: DBZ/SM x-over Major AU. The sailor senshi are semi normal teenagers that are growing up in the Mirai timeline under the constant threat of android attacks. Rei/17 Hotaru/Mirai Trunks
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. (But I do have a birthday coming up *hint* *hint*) They belong to their owners and I am making no money from writing this.

Summary: DBZ/SM x-over Major AU. The sailor senshi are semi normal teenagers that are growing up in the Mirai timeline under the constant threat of android attacks. Eventual Rei/17 Hotaru/Mirai Trunks

Warnings: swearing, angst, violence

Author's Note: Okay you need to now the following so this story makes even the slightest bit of sense: 

(1) The sailor senshi have NO sailor senshi powers in this fic and are semi normal teenagers (at least for how they grew up in this thing) while they won't have their senshi powers anything else is ok such as Hotaru and her healing ability and Rei being psychic.

(2) This takes place in Mirai timeline and for some reason Bulma was not successful in building the time machine so Trunks never went back in time and the androids are very much alive.

(3) The only scouts I will be using at the moment are the inners and Hotaru.

(4) Finally this takes place when the girls would ALL (Hotaru is not much younger then the others in this thing) be around either 17or 18 and Trunks is 18.

Thank you. Now remember to read and review!

Altered Destinies

Kynthia

Part 1

"Rei!"

Rei looked up to see Ami looking at her anxiously. "What's wrong?" Her eyes showed her concern.

Ami turned back to look at Hotaru who was tending to a very sick Minako. The dark haired girl's hands were glowing a vivid purple as she used her healing ability to try and give the blonde some respite from whatever it was that was ailing her.

Ami let out an exhausted sigh before returning her attention back to Rei. Ami and Hotaru should have both been sleeping. Hotaru's healing ability and Ami's knowledge of healing had kept them up for the last few days trying to help Minako. Every so often Hotaru would over extend herself in her healing and would pass out and leave Ami with two people to look after. Rei's heart went out to the blue haired girl.

"Rei, Minako hasn't shown any improvement and we're beginning to run low on food and water," Ami began. "Everyone can't go out with Minako in this condition and I was hoping that you and Makoto would be willing to go look for more." Ami waited nervously for Rei's answer.

Rei didn't like the idea of going out scrounging with just one other person in case something happened but her and Makoto were the only ones with any fighting ability at all to protect themselves. She smiled for Ami's benefit before answering. 

"Don't worry we'll go and look while you and Hotaru help Minako." She didn't mention Usagi at all. They may have been friends but there was no way she would volunteer to take her with them and she wasn't going to remind Ami that with them looking she would be stuck with her. They knew that Usagi's heart was in the right place but who knew where her head was most of the time.

Since the androids had appeared and started their, apparently never-ending path of destruction, food and water had become scarce. It was impossible to have running water nowadays with the constant destruction of the main water supplies. Sometimes you could find a supermarket that would still have food in it and you would just go in and grab all that you could carry. Doing your best of course to get things that wouldn't spoil soon since you never knew how long it would have to last you.

Shelter tended to run closer to abandoned ruins then actual houses and buildings. In some ways it was safer to live in a building that had already been attacked since the androids seemed to have more fun going after the ones that had remained untouched wanting to make them fit with the destruction of the surrounding area. Right now they were in an already ruined building that may at one time been an apartment complex. They had decided to stay there for a while after they found out that on the inside one or two rooms had apparently survived on the bottom floor.

They had to move constantly out of fear of an android attack and the added problems of humans. Meeting up with other humans had become more of a rarity since the death toll continued to rise but they still did sometimes. They always had to be careful because by the standards of most the six girls were quite attractive and you never knew when you would meet some dangerous crazy. The other reason that kept them moving and was about to send Makoto and Rei out into the streets was the constant need for food and water.

Rei stood from her place on a collapsed wall and dusted some of the excess dirt off of her already stained and ripped jeans. She shoved the one reminder she had left of her life before the attacks under her red tank top and picked up what had once been a jacket but was now reduced to little more then a vest. It had been a dark brown leather jacket she had found but the sleeves were ripped beyond repair so she had to rip them off completely and use whatever warmth it still managed to offer.

She gave the saddened blue haired girl beside her a thumbs up to let her know she would be ok. Ami was wearing her usual jeans and white, slightly yellow from age, sweater and a light blue baseball cap backwards on her head to keep her bangs out of her eyes. She smiled slightly at Rei's attempt to cheer her up.

Makoto walked up to her ready to go in her black jeans, green sweatshirt, and blue sneakers in place. Usagi was walking over with her. She was wearing her denim shorts, a white t-shirt, denim jacket, and sneakers.

"Good luck you guys!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Thanks," Makoto and Rei said at the same moment before grinning at each other.

On their way out she cast a quick glance to where Minako lay covered in a sheet, her hair splayed around her head, and her bangs sweat soaked and sticking to her forehead. Her eyes were closed and her breathes were short and rapid. 'Get better Minako' Rei prayed silently.

Her attention turned to the girl that was at the moment little more then a shadow. Hotaru's dark hair fell down to mid back and blended in with the deep black of her knee length black coat that for now was pooled around where she sat. The only splash of color that she wore was a long sleeved purple shirt over black shorts and black combat boots that hit her just below the knees. Her face was beaded with sweat from exerting her power to try and help her friend. Rei knew she was going to push herself to far again.

Rei and Makoto left calling byes over their shoulders. Rei watched where she stepped and kicked a piece of trash away from her with one of her hiking boot encased feet.

'Please God protect them while we are away and please allow us to find the food and water we so desperately need,' Rei prayed silently.

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Author's Note: The next chapter may take a while to get out. School has gotten hectic and I have very little free time at the moment. Don't worry in the next part or so I'll bring in Trunks or Android 17.

One more reminder: READ AND REVIEW!


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters they belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I do not own nor have I ever owned Dragonball Z or any of its characters they belong to Akira Toriyama. I am making no money from this whatsoever. (I may not own the characters but if anyone would like to give me Android 17 for my birthday I would offer no objections.)

Author's Notes: To everyone that has reviewed THANK YOU!!!! I wasn't expecting that large of a response since my last couple of fics haven't made it over 5 reviews yet. PLEASE keep reviewing. Someone mentioned wanting this to be an Ami/Mirai Trunks fic (sorry I can't remember your name right now but I'm writing this really late and can see the sun coming up on the horizon at the moment so I'm shocked I can even see the monitor this clearly) and I just felt like letting them know that if they aren't to dead set on that pairing that I am currently working on getting an Ami/17 fic out later on. **shameless plug** It will take a little while though to get done because when it comes to my fics at the moment Altered Destines is my top priority.

Quick warning though the rating on this will have to go up a little bit. (Seventeen seems to need his mouth cleaned out with soap.) Also this is Mirai Seventeen so he is more cruel and sadistic then the Seventeen of the present timeline.

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 2

Trunks soared over the collapsed ruins that had once been the homes of happy families that were probably now nothing but dust. He was searching for the androids that had caused this destruction. The dark clouds of smoke in the sky were unmistakable to him after years of living in this setting. The androids were attacking and with his enhanced saiyan senses he was able to tell at a fairly impressive distance. 

After all the attacks he had seen he knew better then to hope that nobody was hurt. He just hoped that he would get there in time to prevent the casualty rate from going any higher. Thinking about the people that had been killed by those monsters just set off a train of memories from the day of Gohan's death. A growl escaped before a sudden burst of fury pushed him farther in his already rapid flight.

*~*~*

Rei and Makoto made their way carefully over crumbled walls and the cracked streets while trying to stay alert to their surroundings at all times. The rest of the girls were counting on them. If something happened to them before they could get back with supplies, who knew when they would get another chance to get out and search. Minako was too sick to be left alone and Hotaru and Ami had to stay and take care of her. There was also no way that anything good could come from Usagi going out by herself to look.

Jumping over what used to be a car tire she felt the necklace she had slipped under her tank top bounce a bit against her skin. While keeping an eye out for any possible dangers she absently let her hand come up to clutch the pendant through the material. It was the one reminder she had left from her life before the androids, before the destruction. Rei replayed the memory of the day she received it so often in her mind when she was sad it was impossible to stop it from surfacing now.

She had been very young. It was hard to remember just how young but her face, arms, and legs were still round and chubby from baby fat. It had also been her birthday and both her parents were there smiling at her. They had been so proud of her for, something that at the time had been so simple, getting one year older. Not that it was that simple now. When they had opened the small white box sunlight from an open window created a golden sparkle that had forced Rei to squint to try and see what it was. Her mother had lifted it out of the box by the chain and let it spin slightly in front of Rei's slightly amazed eyes. It had been one of the most beautiful things she had seen in her young life. It was a beautiful golden phoenix dangling in mid-flight from the chain. She remembered letting out a giddy giggle, which had made her mother and father chuckle in parental amusement.

A hand landing on her shoulder brought her back from her reverie. Jumping slightly Rei turned to meet Makoto's concerned green eyes. Rei looked down and saw her left hand, the one that didn't have her pendent in a death grip at the moment, was clenched into a fist. The knuckles of the hand were turning white. She started walking again surprised to realize she had stopped in the first place. She was still embarrassed that she hadn't heard Makoto coming up from behind her. It wasn't good to let your attention slip when you were out in the open like this. Walking on determinedly Rei reminded herself firmly that after they found more supplies they could return home. As she walked she refused to acknowledge the wet trails that had been left on her cheeks.

*~*~*

"Pathetic," Android 17 said in a cold and unemotional voice.

The humans had once again begun a stampede seeking a nonexistent safety. If he had given a damn about them he may have pitied them but then again if he had cared what happened to them he wouldn't have begun taking pot shots at the inhabited buildings in the first place. Smirking coldly he once again joined his twin sister in exterminating the pests.

Flying over the vermin he began to reduce their numbers dramatically with nothing more then a flick of his wrist. Their screams of terror and pain were music to Seventeen's ears. Unfortunately for a certain purple haired kid they weren't enough to drown out the sound of his approach.

Turning in a semi lazy manner Seventeen regarded the incoming figure with an arched eyebrow. 'What is with this kid? We kick his ass every time he tries to fight us but he just comes back for more.' Seventeen snorted briefly and crossed his arms to wait for the new arrival to reach him. He enjoyed kicking the shit out of the guy, as did his sister. It was obvious though that he suffered from the same stupidity that the rest of the humans did to keep challenging them though. 

Eighteen came up to hover beside him now that the novelty of blowing up the screaming mob was pretty much over now that the majority was dead and the rest were on their way to being there. Smirking sadistically as the young warrior that had arrived stopped at a slight distance away, Seventeen decided that if the kid enjoyed pain so much he would be more then happy to oblige him. Hell, if he didn't amuse them so much they wouldn't have let him get away alive so damn often.

The smirk didn't dissolve as the first energy blast was thrown.

*~*~*

Shoving the damp bangs that were sticking to her forehead back with an exasperated sigh, Hotaru pushed herself off the ground in a somewhat wobbly standing position. She had almost overdone it with trying to heal Minako again; but Ami had intervened like she had several times before by telling her to get some rest. She put a hand out quickly to brace herself against probably the only stable wall in their little shelter as a wave of dizziness hit her. She cursed her momentary weakness silently as she straightened rubbing her eyes with the palm of her hand and headed to her own little sleeping bag across the room on the dusty floor.

This dusty little corner was hers. If she turned to face the wall and blocked out the sounds of the other girls she used to be able to fool herself into thinking she was still back home in her room upstairs and her dad was working away in his lab as usual. Now it had gotten hard to do so. The others had somewhere along the line become her new family. 

Hotaru had been an only child and hadn't had many friends so looking back she was surprised at how easily she could now consider these girls her family. Rei and Makoto were like the mature older sisters to everyone else and tended to try and protect her and everyone else before thinking of themselves. Minako and Usagi were so much alike it was scary. If she had met them before everything happened she would never had guessed they weren't in actuality sisters, physical appearances aside they both tended to have the same bubbly personality. Both were always quick to try and bring a laugh out Hotaru or the others whenever they would get depressed. That was until Minako had gotten sick. 

Rolling over, she buried her face in the slightly musty fabric of the sleeping bag fighting back tears. Minako had just gotten sick one day with no explanation whatsoever and had just continued to worsen with no sign of getting better anytime in the near future regardless of their efforts. Hotaru heaved a sad sigh. Dwelling on it wouldn't change anything. Ami would just begin to worry about her if she lied here and just started crying. Poor Ami she tried to take care of everyone but it was very hard to do.

A sudden thud brought her back to the present very quickly. The thud was followed by a high-pitched cry and an exclamation of 'Ow!' Rolling over onto her other side to face the rest of the room Hotaru's eyes widened a bit before she had to clamp a hand over her mouth to try and keep from laughing out loud. 

Usagi was rolling on the floor on her back, her feet sticking straight up in the air, her hands clamped onto her foot, which had apparently been stubbed on a brick on the ground. The girl was absolutely hysterical, acting as if her foot had been sawed off at the ankle when, at most, she would likely have nothing but a bruise to show the next day. An exasperated Ami was hovering over her trying to clamp a hand over Usagi's mouth to get her to shut up before she could wake a finally sleeping Minako. It was a comical sight to say the least.

Hotaru considered briefly the possibility of getting up to try and help Ami before the girl had the nervous breakdown the other girls kind of expected to come eventually from to much responsibility mixed with Usagi exposure. She came to the conclusion though that she still didn't quite trust her legs to hold her up for to long and didn't want to trip on the way over and make matters worse by having another girl sprawled on the floor. Plus if she was to actually make it that far she didn't want to chance passing out over there and landing on Usagi which would definitely result in shrieks that could shatter glass. 

Chuckling silently she rolled back to her previous position to try and tune out the blonde's hysterics and get some sleep. She already felt a little bit better then she had then when she had lied down.

*~*~*

Rei and Makoto sat huddling behind a fallen wall and tried desperately to think of a way to get themselves out of this mess.

They had been scrounging when an attack hit. Just like that. No warning at all. One minute everything was quiet and the next a building nearby had been hit by an energy ball and the streets were flooded with herds of frightened humans running in every direction mindless with terror.

Rei had grabbed Makoto by the hand and pulled her behind the fallen wall, which was serving as their temporary shelter at the moment, to try and avoid being trampled until they had a way out. Once behind their dubious sanctuary they had looked up into the direction that the attack had come from and had been left in cold terror at the sight of the two hovering figures. It was an android attack. Few people ever survived an encounter with them so actual physical descriptions rarely made it to the ears of the average people like Rei and the rest of the girls but there was little mistaking who these two were. After all who else would care so little for another's life?

It was hard from this distance to get a very detailed mental picture of what they looked like but Rei was sure that she would always recognize them regardless of where they were from now on.

They had been left sitting behind the crumbling wall doing their best to remain unnoticed and hoping that the androids would get bored soon and leave so they could make their escape without much fear of being discovered. The last thing they needed to do was let those bastards know where the other girls were. Watching all those people run for their lives and being killed so unmercifully had allowed Rei to go from a mind numbing terror to an all consuming fury. In other words she was pissed.

So there they sat crouching behind a wall shaking with anger and indignation until the attacks seemed to be coming fewer and fewer. Taking the risk they looked over the fallen wall. They were shocked to see some kid with blonde spiky hair fighting the two twin menaces. Rei hadn't known there was anyone alive that could rival the androids like that and it left her with no small amount of satisfaction whenever the mystery boy landed a solid punch or kick into one of his opponents.

Rei sat in awe. She had never seen anything like this. It wouldn't have shocked her to greatly if she were to discover her mouth was hanging open in testament to her shock. She probably would have stayed to watch and see who won if Makoto hadn't of grabbed her by the arm and begun pulling her back into the shadows of a nearly intact alleyway. A quick gesture for silence from the taller girl kept Rei from making any protest.

They began to quickly make their way back to their temporary home as carefully and as silently as possible. They had decided silently that it would be best to go a head and head back without testing their luck anymore for the day. The entire way back Rei couldn't help but to wonder about the blonde boy. So wrapped up in her thoughts as she was she wouldn't notice until she returned that her pendent hadn't returned with her.

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Author's Notes: This chapter was a little bit longer then the last one and I have some idea about how the next one will go so I'll try to get to work on it when I get a chance. School is still hell so the time I get to myself is sporadic at best for now. So what did you guys think? Remember to review!


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me and I claim no ownership to them. This story does belong to me however and anyone who takes it will regret it. *Kynthia's personal army of hell demons appears and prepares to ritually decapitate anyone who would think to steal her property*

Warnings: swearing, angst, violence

Author's Note: Someone has asked me about Trunks' time machine and the final battle. This tells me that some people didn't read the Author's Notes on the first chapter. So here they are again and I hope that this answers any question you had. For pairings see the summary. 

****

IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!! YOU MUST READ THIS TO UNDERSTAND: 

(1) The sailor senshi have NO sailor senshi powers in this fic and are semi normal teenagers (at least for how they grew up in this thing) while they won't have their senshi powers anything else is ok such as Hotaru and her healing ability and Rei being psychic.

(2) This takes place in the Mirai timeline and for some reason Bulma was not successful in building the time machine so Trunks never went back in time and the androids are very much alive.

(3) Finally this takes place when the girls would ALL (Hotaru is not much younger then the others in this thing) be around either 17or 18 and Trunks is 18.

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 3

Rei lay in her musty sleeping bag trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill. She couldn't have lost it, could she? Wrapping her arms around herself as if to hold the tears back she did her best to remember every step she made after leaving the android battle. Her pendent was missing. The reminder of the happy days was gone. She couldn't leave it wherever it was. 

Holding herself even tighter Rei bit back on a sob. The others didn't know it was gone or that anything was wrong yet. She was hoping to put off letting them know. She didn't want them to worry.

That night Rei cried herself to sleep.

*~*~*

Trunks flew his tired and battered body back home. He had lost again. As he landed and he put weight back on his feet he let out a hiss of pain. He had hurt something in his right leg. 'Great. Something else to add to the list,' he thought briefly. Limping, he pushed the front door open and paused. Listening for his mother.

His mom always worried about something happening to him and he hated to cause her any more trouble than she already had. She had never wanted him to train to fight the androids out of fear for his safety. When Gohan had been killed she would do her best to try and stop him from going out and confronting the androids every time he knew about an attack. He would go anyway and would feel guilty about it every time. Trunks always had slightly mixed feelings before leaving to fight. His anger and hatred over Gohan's death kept him going and training. His fear for his mother's safety kept him trying to escape whenever it was obvious that he had lost the battle. If he died there would be no one to protect her. His father was long dead along with everyone else so he was the only one that _could _protect her.

Stumbling through the hallway he pushed open the door to his bedroom and barely had enough time to pull his sword's sheath off of his back before collapsing onto his bed. Trunks was a sleep before his head hit the pillow. He didn't even notice the door being pushed open by an aqua haired woman who pulled the blankets up over him and kissed him on the forehead before turning to leave.

*~*~*

Seventeen flew in lazy circles over the area where he and Eighteen had been blowing up residents of some nearby buildings a few hours earlier. That was until that purple haired kid had to show up again. Smirking he landed on the cracked street. It was always fun beating the hell out of the moron. Unfortunately though the entertainment value from earlier had begun to wear off and he was getting bored again. 

Walking over the bits of no longer standing walls, kicking the occasional brick out of his way, and pausing to throw an energy blast at an unfortunate bird was proving to be uneventful. He had come back to see if any of the humans that hadn't been killed or escaped were still around. A little target practice wouldn't kill him.

Seventeen paused when he kicked another brick in impatience. Something had caught his eye. He saw a flicker of gold before leaning down to pick it up. Holding it up for closer inspection he saw it was some sort of necklace with a phoenix pendant dangling from the end. He raised an eyebrow and glanced around to see if he had been wrong and some humans were still in the area. After a moment though he came to the conclusion that he had been right and that the owner was probably one of the numerous dead that littered the street.

Casting one last look at the pendent he shoved it into his jeans pocket. He had no plans on wearing it of course but if Eighteen started bitching about needing new clothes or got that look in her eye that said 'I am going shopping whether you like it or not and you will stand outside and wait on me or face the consequences' he might just be able to throw it at her and see if it saved him from standing outside for hours on end while she tried on clothes. With that plan in mind Seventeen decided to head home. He was getting bored quickly and this place was no longer offering much in the way of amusement.

*~*~*

Hotaru lay in her sleeping bag for the second time that day. When Rei and Makoto had come back so soon they had known something had gone wrong but not what. After hearing about everything that had happened they had resolved to wait another day or two before trying again to scrounge for supplies. An android attack this close was going to be making everyone paranoid for days. It would probably take another week before anyone was up to going out again.

After relaying the events of the day, Rei had gone to her sleeping bag presumably to get some rest. The slight shuddering of her shoulders was the only sign that anything was wrong. Hotaru assumed that she was still upset from seeing all those innocent people killed. Rei had abilities that made her more in tuned with the minds and emotions of others at times and the horror of the situation must have affected her. Makoto was keeping Ami company while she watched over Minako. Usagi had fallen asleep after the initial excitement had ended.

Hotaru replayed everything Makoto and Rei and told them about their excursion. The part that caught her attention the most was that someone would challenge the androids. Especially someone who seemed to stand a decent chance of winning, if everything the other two had said was correct. She hadn't thought there was anyone left that would fight the androids. After all anyone who would have ever stood a chance would have been killed early on.

With everything always giving the appearance of being hopeless this new development threw her a bit. The idea that the human race had some kind of hope was exhilarating to say the least. It was also a little scary. This new hope had also brought back her own desire for vengeance against the beings that had destroyed her home and killed her family.

Hotaru rolled over, closed her eyes, and fell a sleep. She hoped her dreams would be of the future without the androids instead of the bloody past that they had created. For tonight, her wish would be granted.

*~*~*

__

She sat on the step in front of her grandfather's temple. After the android attack her mommy and daddy had grabbed her up and run here. It had yet to be attacked but they all knew it was only a matter of time. For now though she was allowed to have her family nearby and they could pretend, at least for a little while, that everything was all right.

It was the way things had gone day in and day out. Until the day her daddy didn't come back. He had left earlier to visit a friend that was staying nearby. She had come running into the temple. Her mommy was crying. No one knew where he was.

The next day when she woke up she had heard low voices coming from the next room. Thinking her daddy had come home she hopped out of bed quickly and ran into the next room with a huge grin on her face.

"Daddy!" she squealed as she opened the door.

Inside her mother was huddled over on the floor crying harder with every passing second. Two men stood over her talking quietly wearing somber expressions. Her normally smiling grandfather was kneeling next to her mother with his arms around her with a deep frown marring his features.

When she had entered the room one of the men looked up at her and then quickly looked down again. He opened his mouth briefly as if to speak but closed it quickly looking pained. Everyone else was too deep in their own emotions or thoughts to notice her. An odd smell fermented the air around her. Her young mind had yet to wrap itself around what was happening.

She walked up to the man that had originally noticed her entrance. He was still looking at the floor as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world to him. She reached up her hand to hold his.

"Where is my daddy?" she asked in a small voice.

He still wouldn't look up but spoke in a low almost strangled voice, "I'm sorry."

She looked at him confused. She couldn't understand why anyone would be sorry she asked a question but assumed that he didn't know and looked around the room for someone else to ask. Something behind the man caught her eye before she could ask any more questions.

A sheet was covering something; something that was very lumpy and was saturating the sheet red in some places. Her eyes widened and she gasped in fear. This she had seen enough while escaping her home to finally understand what had happened.

Her daddy was dead. A wail went up from her mommy as tears leapt to the young girl's eyes.

Rei shot up straight from her position on the floor and gasped for breath. It had been a long time since she had had her nightmares of her father's death or even that of her mother. Every time she had them though she was left hurting as though it had just happened. Every nerve in her body felt raw and sore. The rolling feeling in her stomach left no room for argument though.

She pushed herself up and ran outside. She fell to her knees and lost the contents of her stomach just as the rest of her emotions caught up to her and she wrapped her arms around herself and wailed like a wounded animal letting out all her grief and remorse.

Miles away she was unaware that a certain very confused android had shot up straight from his own sleep in a cold sweat just as she had awakened. He had had a very similar nightmare.

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Author's Notes: This part has left me a bit emotionally drained.

School has finally calmed down and I hope to get in some writing with my newly established free time. This means I plan to be working on this fic and some of the others that were pushed to the back burner due to lack of time.

Please remember to review!


	4. Part 4

Disclaimer: I don't own them but I wish I did. (Mental note: Create machine to travel through alternate dimensions to find the dragon balls and wish for ownership over my very own pet android and demi saiyan.) *Android 17 and Trunks are seen running away so fast that they break the sound barrier*

Author's Note: I feel bad for torturing these guys like this but we all know how much fun it is to mess with the heads of your favorite characters. Sorry there isn't any Trunks in this part but we do get Seventeen so it's all good. (I love them both!) I was able to get this part done earlier then I expected so I hoped it turned out well. Remember to review everyone!

Altered Destinies

Kynthia

Part 4

Rei sat hunched over on the ground just shuddering for the longest time. The aftereffects of the nightmare hadn't worn off just yet. She rubbed at her eyes in a futile attempt to stop the tears that were still coming. She would have stayed outside until she had control over herself but the crunch of feet on gravel alerted her that she wasn't alone.

She instantly froze and did her best to stay perfectly quiet. Fear coursed through her body. 'Maybe whoever it is will leave and not notice me,' she thought almost desperately. She didn't budge in the slightest but stayed where she was and held the sleeveless jacket just a little bit more tightly around herself.

"Rei," whispered a voice from behind her. She heaved a sigh in relief when she recognized it. 

Quickly wiping her face dry she started to stand up and brushed some of the dust off of her jeans. "Yes Usagi?" Rei whispered back while pushing her long raven black hair behind one ear. She was thankful that it was dark so Usagi wouldn't be able to tell she had just been crying.

The blonde girl stood a few feet behind her. She was clutching her denim jacket in a somewhat futile attempt to stave off the chill as long as possible. Her shorts probably weren't doing much good at the moment of keeping her warm. Looking at her Rei realized how cold it really was. Earlier she hadn't noticed but now the chill prickled along her bare arms making her shudder slightly.

"Are you ok? I could have sworn I heard crying," Usagi began. In the dark Rei couldn't get a good look at her face but she was sure it was etched in concern at the moment.

"I'm fine," Rei said quickly. She didn't want them worrying about her. They had enough problems already. "You were probably just hearing things."

"I could have," Usagi said while taking a step forward. She didn't sound that convinced.

Mentally cursing the fact that Meatball head had to choose now of all times to be perceptive she decided on another tactic. "It could have been just a dream," Rei said sarcastically, coming up with an idea. "After all it's not like you're that good at telling the difference between fantasy and reality at times."

Usagi had stopped where she was. Rei heard her heave an exasperated sigh before the blonde girl turned around and headed back inside. Before she went inside though she heard her wish her sweet dreams.

Rei forced herself to stay calm. She felt bad about treating Usagi that way but she wanted to be left alone for a couple of minutes to pull herself back together. Looking around at the barren street she decided she could try and pull herself together inside.

*~*~*

Seventeen raised his right hand to his somewhat sweaty forehead. 'Where the hell had that come from?' he mentally demanded of himself. An answer didn't appear to be forthcoming.

The nightmare had been more then he would have liked to deal with. Normally he didn't dream at all and for something that intense to happen left him shaken. Not that he would ever admit it. It had been odd. All the emotions swirling in him during the nightmare had left his nerves raw and stinging. This left him even more confused. He was an android after all, didn't that mean he wasn't supposed to have emotions. Hell, he'd kill at point blank range while looking into his victim's desperation filled face and not even blink. So why the hell did one little nightmare about a girl he didn't even know leave him so freaked? 'Damn. I have a better question. Why did I have a dream about someone I've never met?' he thought irritably.

Never being prone to thinking deeply about his own actions or the world around him Seventeen was left completely bewildered. With an angry growl he shoved off the sheets of his bed and stalked out of the room intent on finding something to take his mind off of this. 'It's not like I really need sleep anyway,' he thought on his way out the door. He was so caught up in his own thoughts he had completely forgotten about the pendent that was still shoved into the pocket of his jeans.

*~*~*

The next day Rei moved a bit slower and more lethargic then usual. She hadn't been able to fall asleep after her nightmare and couldn't really count the nightmare that had left her stomach heaving as rest either. Usagi seemed to be watching her at times and whenever she turned to glare at her to stop, the glare would crumble at the concerned expression on the blonde's face.

When she had been sitting just outside the door of the crumpled first floor room watching the street Hotaru had come outside and sat next to her. The slightly shorter dark haired girl had run her hand through her dark bangs and leaned back against the wall using her dark coat that she had removed as a pillow. Hotaru had explained to her that Minako still hadn't really improved but she had gotten just a little bit better. She was sleeping more and able to hold more food down then she had been able to weeks before but her fever had yet to break. Deciding to be thankful for small miracles they had spent the rest of the afternoon in companionable silence, each girl deep in her own thoughts.

Rei unrolled her sleeping bag and slid inside. She had pulled off her ripped jacket to use as a makeshift pillow. Burying her face into the slightly worn leather she hoped for a decent night sleep before closing her eyes.

*~*~*

Seventeen lay in his bed convincing himself the night before had been nothing but a fluke. He never dreamed normally and chances were the night before had been nothing but a malfunction in a circuit somewhere. Growling he rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. He didn't like this. It was making him act like those pitiful humans that he killed every day. By now he decided he would go to sleep on principle alone. Closing his eyes he went to sleep.

*~*~*

__

He huddled into the corner holding his sister's hand. She was crying which was perfectly understandable under the circumstances. They were only eight years old and they were living on the street. Their parents had died when they were four and then they had been sent to live with some great aunt because she was supposedly the only blood relation they had left. She had died the month earlier, after that there was nowhere else to go but with social services. They had run away after hearing that they would most likely get split up.

That led to where they were now. They were sitting in a condemned building, at night, and with no way to keep warm but by staying together and soaking up the slight warmth given off of each others' bodies. They didn't have any food and only the rats to keep them company in this place.

Listening to his sister sob he promised himself that he would find a way to get food in the morning whether it was legal or not. He would protect his sister. Someone had to. She was the only family he had left and he didn't want to be alone.

*~*~*

Like the night before when the dream ended two people both with hair the color of a raven's wing shot up from their not so peaceful sleep. One held her head in disbelief while the other jumped out his bedroom window and shot off into the night sky to try and take his mind off of the obvious likeness between the two children and he and his twin.


	5. Part 5

Disclaimer: I do not own nor have I ever owned Dragonball Z or any of its characters. They belong to Akira Toryiama. I do not own nor have I ever owned Sailor Moon or any of its characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi. The story does belong to me so don't steal it.

Author's Notes: I know. I know. This took longer to get out then I planned. Let me know in your review what you think of it!

I posted another story recently that is a one shot about Android 17 and Ami called Two Lonely Souls. (I am pretty sure that I am the first person to ever post a fic about those two as a couple.) Shameless plug I know.

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 5

Smashing his fist through the brick wall did little to calm Seventeen's nerves. 'That was not me. That was not me. That was not me,' was the steady mantra in his head. He slowed in his flying only long enough to point at a building and release a stream of energy. Within seconds the building was completely demolished and he had already moved on to a more populated area of town.

People were running and screaming in the streets but he hardly noticed them. They were not loud enough to drown out his own thoughts. 'That. Was. Not. Me.' He then released a blast that took out the majority of the street and several nearby buildings.

*~*~*

Trunks woke up with a start and looked out his window already completely alert. Thick black smoke filled the air in the nearby town. The androids were attacking again and this time they were frighteningly close to his home.

Hurrying out of bed Trunks changed quickly and strapped his sword to his back. He had healed mostly from his last confrontation with the androids thanks to his saiyan heritage and a regeneration tank his mom had made but he was still a little sore and achy here and there. Putting it out of his mind he hurried into the hallway. He couldn't leave just yet though. He had to warn his mom. There was an underground shelter under Capsule Corp. and he wanted to make sure she was in it before he left just in case the androids were heading in their direction. 'They don't know where I live but they may come here just because it's populated.'

He almost flew down the halls in the direction of Bulma's lab but managed to restrain himself because his mom hated it when he did that in the house. Shoving the door open in his hurry he nearly took it off of its hinges. Trunks wasn't concerned about the door though he was concerned about the older woman sitting in front of a computer screen.

"Mom! The androids are attacking Salt City! You have to get in the shelter in case they come here!" Trunks exclaimed. Bulma was caught off guard though and nearly fell out of her chair when she heard him start yelling behind her. She turned around with a slightly irritated glare in place until she absorbed what her son had said. She hastily began saving whatever project she had been working on and picked up some files. Trunks could tell that if he let her she would pack up the majority of the lab.

"You have to go now!" Trunks yelled getting distressed.

"Hold on! Let me just capsulate these and we'll be out of here," Bulma said without turning around. When she did Trunks saw her slip a capsule in her front jacket pocket. He then promptly picked her up and carried her to the shelter himself before she could offer any objections or think of something she had forgotten. After reaching the shelter and setting his mother back on her feet he realized that picking her up might not have been the smartest thing to do.

"Trunks!" his mom turned to him. Her blue eyes flashed with anger and her hands were clenched at her sides. Trunks almost took an involuntary step back until he had control over himself. She was probably the only thing that could scare him more then the androids.

"Um, sorry Mom," he began looking shamefaced. "I just thought it was best to hurry since we can't be sure just how close they are." Trunks was looking at the floor the whole time.

He heard a sigh from his mother before looking up. She had visibly calmed down and her arms were crossed instead of straight down her sides with clenched fists. "Fine. There isn't anything still up there that I can't replace anyway." Bulma sounded exasperated but not as ticked as earlier so Trunks allowed himself to relax before turning for the door to leave.

"And where do you think you are going?!" came a rather shrill cry from behind him. 'Oh crap.'

"Someone has to fight the androids," Trunks said without turning around. If he saw his mother's face right now he wouldn't be able to take it.

"It doesn't have to be you!"

"Yes it does Mom," he said as he made a dash for the door. As he soared in the direction of the smoke he knew he heard someone scream his name behind him. He put on an extra burst of speed and tried to keep his mind on the upcoming fight.

*~*~*

At the first tremor that shot through the ground Hotaru shot awake. 'What the hell?' was the first thought that made it into her sleep fogged mind. Thunder sounded in her ears. She sat in her sleeping bag blinking for a few minutes trying to adjust her eyesight to the darkness and to clear her head.

As she finally became fully awake she began to realize the thunder she had heard was the stampeding of feet outside their home. She looked around at the slowly waking faces of her friends as the ground shuddered beneath them again. 'What is happening?'

*~*~*

Rei had been sitting with her head bowed in her hands when the tremors had first begun. She had been so wrapped up in trying to understand the strange dream she had just had that she hadn't noticed them at first. As they had suddenly begun to get more and more violent she had been forced out of her confusing world.

The others had already woke up and were sitting around with varying expressions of distress or confusion. At first no one spoke. They just sat entangled in the sounds of the thundering feet outside and the screams of distress, which they could only assume, belonged to the runners. The monotonous noise was only broken when Rei's ears caught the sound of rustling clothing coming from her right. Turning she saw Makoto push herself out of her own sleeping bag and stand up. She began to walk over to a boarded up window to peek out into the street. Rei quickly followed.

Peaking through the cracks didn't offer much of a view but it did show her the street directly in front of her. People were pushing and shoving in their flight to what Rei could only assume was safety. 'I didn't even realize there were this many people in this town.' As she watched a sick feeling began to well up in her stomach. There weren't many things that could cause this much havoc and only one came immediately to mind.

"_Androids_," she whispered quietly. The word was spoken softly but carried with it no small amount of bitterness and contempt.

When she noticed the crowd appeared to be thinning Rei tried to turn her head to get a better look. She wished she hadn't when she felt head impact with something.

"Ow!" came from two different throats at once. Rei brought a hand up to her poor injured head and turned to glare at the person she already knew would be rubbing her own meatball head and pouting. She was not disappointed. Usagi was standing beside her with her hand rubbing tenderly at the spot on her head that had impacted with Rei and, of course, pouting.

"Rei watch what you're doing," Usagi said annoyed.

Rei's eyebrows drew together into a deep scowl and her jaw clenched in anger. That little twirp had the nerve to get mad at HER like she was the one at fault. Naturally Rei was already stressed a bit to far at the moment and this hadn't helped anything. Usagi must have seen this because she suddenly looked a little too apologetic.

"Uh…sorry…um…I should probably have warned you before just sneaking up here like that," Usagi said hesitantly. Her eyes drifted to the fist the raven-haired girl had been clenching at her side unconsciously. Rei followed her eyes in annoyance and after realizing what she had done began to _try _to calm herself down. 'I have to keep a cool head.' Logically she knew it was true but right now egging on Usagi didn't seem to bad of an idea.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Rei said with a slight smirk before turning around. "For once."

"Hey!"

"Guys!" Both girls turned to look over and slightly up at Makoto who was gesturing frantically for them to shut the hell up. They turned back to the window and tried to peer between the boards at different angles and see what was happening. Being much more cautious about it of course.

The streets appeared to be pretty much empty now but from their position they couldn't be positive. A high pitched whistling noise caught their attention for a brief instance before it was cut off by the sound of something big hitting and crashing through pavement. The ground shook momentarily under their feet and Usagi tried to grab something to balance herself. This something just so happened to be Rei. They both fell to the ground in one big mass of arms of legs. After much cursing, taking one foot to the head, and nearly being strangled by one of Usagi's pigtails Rei managed to pull herself out of the heap and get up right.

"Geez Rei you need to lose some weight," Usagi grumbled while rubbing her head in annoyance. In her opinion Rei had not needed to pull her hair just because she had slipped.

Rei opened her mouth but the retort died on her tongue when she noticed a shadow moving out of the corner of her eye. She jumped backwards automatically out of surprise until she recognized the shadow that was now leaning down in front of the doorway.

"Hotaru what do you think you are doing?!" Rei shouted.

"I want to see what happened," the shorter dark haired girl said as she finished fixing the laces on one boot.

"That's not a good idea," Ami interjected softly from her position next to Minako. Minako looked more awake and aware then normal but nearly having a building fall on you could do that.

"It's quieter now. It's probably safe to take a look as long as we stay down," Makoto said. She was still next to the window but was now leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, someone could be hurt," Usagi added thoughtfully before looking up questioningly. "Hey Rei! You can sense things. Do you think you could just tell us if it is dangerous?"

Rei knew she was talking about her psychic ability. Obviously Usagi didn't really know how it worked. She hadn't been able to sense the androids that time they had gone scavenging so what made her think she could tell them if it was safe to go wandering around in an already dangerous area that appeared to have just been attacked?!

"Sorry, but no," Rei said slightly annoyed. What really annoyed her the most about the suggestion was the fact that she couldn't do it and not because of Usagi.

"Waiting around here won't accomplish anything," Hotaru said quietly before ending the argument by walking out the door.

"Someone should go with her," Makoto said as she pushed off of the wall to follow. There was a gleam in her eye that made Rei just a mite nervous. 'That girl likes an adventure just a little too much.'

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Rei walked outside. In all the excitement the worries about the dreams had been forced back for the time being.

*~*~*

Hotaru slinked through the shadows as quietly as possible. If there was anyone still around she was _not _going to bring any unneeded attention to herself. Growing up with her childhood, or lack there of, she had learned how to hide and go unnoticed. She was putting some of her lessons to work right now.

She quickly assessed the latest damage that had been done to the city. The place hadn't exactly been in the best of shape when they had come and now it was all but totally gone. It didn't look like there was anyone in the area besides her and the other girls. Since she hadn't gotten up to look out the windows like some of the others she hadn't seen the teeming horde of people running for safety. She _had _heard the noise though and that sounded like far more people then they had originally thought were around. While trying to step carefully around a crater where an energy blast had melted glass into a bowl shape she decided it would be best to keep her head down for the time being.

'What was that?' Hotaru had heard something. It had been faint but just loud enough to catch her attention. She stopped dead in her tracks and more of felt then heard the other two girls with her stop also. Nobody said anything for a few seconds until the same noise came back that she had heard before. It was louder now. She looked around for the source of the sound. It sounded more like someone was hurt then anything else. She held still for a few more moments to see if anyone came out to help their fallen friend. When nothing happened and no one appeared Hotaru frowned and quickly made up her mind as she headed in the direction of the sound. Being careful where she stepped among the debris she would stop every so often to listen to make sure she hadn't passed whoever it was.

'There!' Her eyes had caught a flash of blue and she quickly headed over to it. The sound of shuffling feet behind her reassured her that Rei and Makoto were following her lead. She sped up when she realized just how much worse this area was then the one she had just been in. Stepping over a half melted tricycle she stopped at the edge of a very big crater. The flash of blue she had seen was a jacket that was tore almost beyond wear that had gotten caught on a jutted out junk of concrete. Inside the crater was what looked like a boy.

After jumping down to get a closer look she realized he was probably around her age and appeared to be taller then her. The real attention getter was his lavender colored hair that was at the moment slightly stained by his own blood and sticking to his sweat soaked forehead. He was breathing, but barely. Whoever he was he had just taken a serious beating.

Hotaru kneeled down at his side and held her hands palms down over his chest. She heard Rei and Makoto from where they were still standing just above her try to get her attention that she should probably wait till they were sure no one could be watching but she ignored them and focused on the purple healing energy that was gathering in her hands.

*~*~*

Pain. That was the only sensation Trunks was capable of feeling at the moment. He couldn't hear anything but the erratic sound of his own heartbeat in his ears. It was unsettling but at least he knew he was still alive. He couldn't see anything and had at first panicked that he might have been dead until he had recognized the sound pounding in his ears. That let him know either he was blind or it was just the darkness from keeping his eyes closed tightly. Take a guess at which he hoped it was. He was also feeling unbearably cold.

He was alive at the moment but it was chancy on how long it would last. To bad they couldn't just use the dragonballs to wish him back but they were gone when the androids had killed Piccolo. 'Damn it I can't die now!' His mom would have absolutely no one. There would no longer be anyone to protect her. Hell, if he died there weren't exactly a lot of people lining up to challenge the androids after seeing many of their friends and family members bite the dust just because those mechanical bastards were trying to amuse themselves.

Trunks was totally unaware to anything going on around him until he realized the numbing cold was receding. There was a warm feeling starting at his chest and spreading out to the rest of his body. He began to feel instantly better wherever the warmth touched.

He felt a groan escape his lips. He still had his eyes closed but began to try and move his hands and feet a little. Everything checked out which meant he more or less still had all his body parts. He groaned slightly as he forced his heavy eyelids open to take a look around. Blinking back the sudden light in his eyes he made out the face of a girl with tendrils of black hair falling around her face and dark soulful violet eyes the he could drown in looking down at him. The sunlight seemed to flame out around her face a moment before she gave him a weak smile and collapsed next to him.


	6. Part 6

Disclaimer: I do not own them. Dragonball Z belongs to Akira Toriyama. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I am making no money from this.

Author's Notes: Not much to say except please read and review. Constructive Criticism will be appreciated.

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 6

Rei looked into the crater where the mystery boy with the lavender hair sat cradling Hotaru. 'Damn it why did she do that?!' she thought angrily even though she already knew the answer. Hotaru couldn't have knowingly left someone that injured behind if she could do something about it. Hell, Rei would have done the same thing if it had been her but that didn't stop her from being upset. By helping this boy she had alerted an outsider to her powers. An outsider who could probably find their shelter. An outsider who HAD PURPLE HAIR?!

Rei stood blinking in surprise for a moment. Her mind flew back to the day of their attempted scavenging trip. Someone had shown up to fight the androids. Someone with purple hair. 'Now how many people could possibly have hair that color?' she mused as she turned to look to Makoto for confirmation. The brunette's shocked stare was all she needed. It was him.

Makoto started down to where Hotaru and the mystery boy were still laying and motioned for Rei to follow.

*~*~*

Trunks blinked down at the girl that had collapsed next to him. One minute he had been near death, the next he feels suddenly healed and wakes up to see a beautiful girl looking down at him, and then said girl collapses. Something about that equation didn't seem right.

He reached down concerned to see if she was ok. He put an arm under her back to lift her up a little and used the other hand to check her pulse. Her pulse seemed to be beating at a normal rate but her breathing was quick and shallow. Trunks tried to make her comfortable as he sorted out some of his still jumbled thoughts and think of what to do.

A crunching sound caught his attention and he looked up to see to two girls coming towards them. One had black hair down to her knees and the other had brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail. He saw them look at the dark haired girl in his arms and then look at him. The brown haired girl raised an eyebrow slightly before grinning at him.

"I see you and Hotaru have met," the brown haired girl said. "I'm Makoto."

He looked back down at the girl in his arms. 'Hotaru…so that's her name.'

"I'm Rei," the longhaired girl said catching his attention. She looked at his face for a moment before bending down to take a look at Hotaru and put a hand to her forehand and check her pulse. "Don't worry about Hotaru. She over extended herself more then she should have but she'll be fine."

He looked down at Hotaru to see her breathing had indeed slowed to that of a deep sleep. Sighing he looked back to the two girls in front of him. "I'm Trunks. What happened to her?"

He saw a look pass between the girls that had introduced themselves as Makoto and Rei. "Um. Hotaru has some…abilities," began Makoto while putting a hand behind her head. She seemed somewhat stumped as of how to continue.

"She has healing abilities," said Rei. She kept her eyes on the ground as though it had suddenly become the most fascinating thing in the world. She continued speaking every word carefully, "I guess you could say she isn't like other people. When she tried to save you she used up to much power." After finishing she looked up to judge his reaction.

Trunks thought about what she had said. It sounded like she was telling the truth. But how had Hotaru been able to do that?

*~*~*

Rei still sat trying to figure out this boy named Trunks. He hadn't acted as horribly shocked as most people would have if they had just been told they had been saved by a girl with special powers. He seemed more contemplative then anything else.

They needed to get Hotaru back to shelter soon and they needed to decide on whether or not they could let Trunks know where they lived or not. Sighing Rei searched her feelings on the subject. Sometimes her sixth sense would give her insight onto matters if she let it but not always. This time it seemed to want to help her out because the matter didn't set off any warning bells in her head to let her know of danger. She did sense that something had begun though. Mentally she shook her head and nodded to Makoto to let her know they could probably trust him.

"Follow us. We'll show you where we're staying and we can let Hotaru rest," Makoto said gesturing with her hand to follow.

Rei stood from her kneeling position and began to follow Makoto letting Trunks carry Hotaru. She knew that if he was who they thought he was then fighting him on the subject probably would be futile and besides the two looked kind of cute together. Rei's eyes suddenly widened. 'Crap. I'm beginning to act like Minako.'

*~*~*

Trunks followed the two girls carrying his small burden. Looking between the girls he followed he noticed they were slightly wary around him but if they lived around this disaster site they probably had reason to fear strangers.

He watched as they expertly avoided tripping over the scattered debris and picked their way easily around what used to be a wall that an earthquake couldn't have budged. They obviously were used to destruction on some level to be able to navigate this area. He had to admit to surprise when they suddenly stopped not to far from where they had started. He eyed the crumbling building. 'They live here!' He had to wonder how this place had kept from being destroyed in the earlier fight.

The doorway was nearly invisible in the shadows produced by a thick piece of plywood propped against the wall and a pile of old bricks in the street. He saw the two girls look at him then at each other again.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," Rei said turning to him before straightening and walking inside.

He sent a questioning look to Makoto who merely shrugged and rolled up the sleeves on her green sweatshirt. Trunks sighed and looked back down at the girl in his arms. Hotaru's hair was so black he could see violet highlights as it was splayed across her forehead and over the side of his arm. Her long black coat hung limply around his knees and her dark clothing contrasted sharply with her pale complexion almost giving her the illusion that she was glowing with some inner light.

"You can come in now," came a voice from the doorway. He was brought back from his musings abruptly and looked up to see Rei standing in the doorway with one hand on her hip and a girl with blond hair in pigtails peering curiously over her shoulder.

"Hi!" said the blond girl cheerfully waving over Rei's shoulder.

"Um. Hi," muttered Trunks a little surprised. After seeing Rei and Makoto's behavior around him he was a little taken back by this girl's cheerful demeanor.

Rei rolled her eyes before speaking, "This is Usagi. Just ignore her."

"Hey!"

Trunks blinked and looked between the girls somewhat nervously. Glancing at Makoto he saw the brunette was shaking her head in apparent exasperation. Apparently this was normal behavior.

"Guys he needs to be able to get in if he is going to set down Hotaru," said Makoto. She looked like she was about ready to just shove the two inside and be done with it.

The two stopped bickering long enough to see the expression on Makoto's face and nodded mutely before backing into the room.

"Come on," said Makoto as she gestured for him to follow.

*~*~*

Rei sat with her back against the cracked wall of the tiny room she shared watching Trunks and Ami look the still asleep Hotaru over. After Trunks had laid Hotaru down on one of the sleeping bags Ami had descended onto both of them getting all of the answers of what had happened from Trunks. When Ami was worried she could be a force to be reckoned with. Trunks had answered all of her questions and they had learned that he was the person they had seen fighting the androids. Right now Ami was answering Trunks questions about her and the other girls since they had decided unanimously that they could probably trust him. He was acting way too concerned for Hotaru to have any bad intentions.

Turning her musings inward Rei let her mind wander back to the weird dreams she had been having. With the excitement earlier she had to push them to the back of her mind for a while. Everything was calmer now and she didn't have much else to do but think.

In the last dream it was obvious that she hadn't been either of the children. It had felt like it had come from somewhere else. 'Or someone else,' her mind supplied. She had never done it before but she didn't know the extent of her powers so it could be possible. But whose dreams could she be sharing?

Unconsciously her hand drifted upward to clutch where her pendant would normally be. When all she felt was the cloth of her red tank top she cursed her own absentmindedness under her breath. She still hadn't had a chance to find her pendant and with the events from earlier she hadn't gotten a chance to give it much thought. 'I have to find it!' Rei thought angrily. The other girls would never let her go out looking for it but maybe she could sneak out later that-

"Rei! Guess what!" shrieked an ecstatic Usagi, abruptly bringing Rei back to the world at hand.

"What?" asked Rei tired and annoyed.

"Trunks said that his mom has a lot of medical equipment at Capsule Corp that may be able to help Minako and since they have a lot of spare rooms that we can stay with them!"

Rei wondered idly how she had been able to say all that in one breath before she leaned over to look behind Usagi and raise an eyebrow in question at Trunks. In response to her scrutiny he blushed slightly and shrugged.

"If you want to and I'm sure my mom won't mind."

"It looks like our best chance to help Minako," said Ami.

"It's not like there's anything for us to stay here for," added Makoto.

Rei smiled at Trunks, "Thanks."

Suddenly Trunks had a blond headed spore attached to his neck repeating 'thank you' over and over again. In response Trunks blushed all the way up to his lavender roots.

*~*~*

Seventeen landed in front of Gero's old lab. He hadn't been back since his sister and he had been awakened. He had immediately killed the sick bastard and they had left. He never really thought about it except to relive the moment he had crushed Gero's head under his shoe. It was a great mood picker upper.

That wasn't the reason he was there now though. The reason was he still had too many emotions swirling around in his head for his liking and if he went back home now Eighteen would be able to tell something was up and he didn't feel like answering any of her questions right now. He knew she would never think to look for him here.

He leaned against the doorway of the lab not bothering to go in. He doubted anything had changed over the years enough to hold his interest. He shoved his hands into his pockets and his ice blue eyes widened in surprise when he felt something at the bottom of one of them.

Gripping the mystery object in his fingers he pulled it out to study it curiously. It was that phoenix necklace he had found earlier. He had completely forgotten he had picked it up. Looking it over he took in the details of it. It was around the size of his thumb and he could tell where feathers had been etched into the gold and where in some places it had been smoothed due to constant rubbing. It would have just been another bird if it weren't for the engravings of flames that drifted off the wings and tail.

Seventeen shrugged and put it back in his pocket seeing no point in getting rid of it. Deciding he was calm enough to return home he decided to do something to put himself back in the proper mindset. Maybe he would put itching powder in his sister's underwear drawer or something.


	7. Part 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or Sailor Moon. Dragonball Z and all of its characters belong to Akira Toriyama. Sailor Moon and all of its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

Author's Notes: I have worked hard on this chapter and I hope you guys like it. School seems to have slowed down so I have started working more on this thing and another fic that I'm starting up. To everyone who has been asking about when Rei/17 would come in I dedicate this chapter to you. Hotaru and Trunks will start taking a backseat so that I can work more on our favorite raven-haired couple after this chapter.

I would also like to think the TWO people that reviewed my last chapter.

Thank you guys!

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 7

Rei walked in the back of the group as they followed Trunks into Capsule Corp. He led the way carrying the still unconscious Hotaru. Usagi and Ami were walking on either side of him asking various questions and Makoto followed close behind them carrying Minako. Rei brought up the rear.

First thing that would happen was they would have to meet Ms. Bulma Briefs, Trunks's mother. The woman was going to let them live in her house after all, although Rei had to admit to a certain amount of cynicism on her part on whether or not they would actually be able to stay.

Trunks had flown ahead to warn his mom that company would be coming and to get a capsule car so he wouldn't have to make separate trips to get everyone there. Rei was still surprised whenever she remembered seeing the young man hover into the air before shooting off. 'How does he do that?!'

"Trunks! What happened?!"

Rei's head shot up. A woman with blue hair pulled back into a loose ponytail was shooing Trunks and Makoto into a back room.

*~*~*

Trunks stood in the lab's doorway and watched as his mother hovered over the two unconscious forms on the tables. The other girls stood next to him trying to see around each other at what was happening.

"What have her symptoms been?" asked Bulma as she shined a small light into one of Minako's half lidded eyes.

"At first all she had was minor sneezing and a slight fever. We assumed it was a cold so we had her stay inside whenever possible and kept extra water around so she could get plenty of fluids. It didn't help though and her fever just got worse until she would have black outs," Ami paused briefly in her explanation.

Bulma looked at the short blue haired girl surprised before grinning, "I take it you're their resident doctor."

Ami blushed, "Um. Something like that Ms. Briefs."

"She's the only one of us that was reading medical books at age 5 is all," added Makoto wryly.

"Well then. Having two geniuses will definitely help speed up your friend's recovery," exclaimed Bulma motioning the other girl into the lab to help. "Oh and I want you guys to call me Bulma."

Trunks continued to watch the two women work for a few minutes before he made up his mind about something, 'Looks like mom just got the daughter she always wanted.'

*~*~*

Hotaru's head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She lay where she was with her eyes closed trying to rid herself of her foggy state of mind for a few moments. She considered sitting up but changed her mind when just turning her head sent her falling back dizzily.

'Where am I?' She felt a cool surface under her fingertips and there was cool air blowing on her face. This couldn't be the stuffy room she shared with the others and she obviously wasn't outside. Think girl. Think. What had she done to cause her to pass her out this time?

She tried to shift her weight involuntarily and let a groan escape. 'Great. If I'm a hostage I just let my kidnappers know I'm waking up.' Hotaru felt a brief stab of fear shoot through her when she heard footsteps approaching her side.

"Hotaru?" said a soft voice. She could hear the worry that was laced into that one word and allowed herself to relax.

Slowly she blinked her eyes and immediately shut them when the glaring of the overhead lights sent a shaft of pain through her head. Blinking carefully she looked up to the person leaning over her. She blinked one more time from surprise alone. 'Oh, now I remember.'

Looking down at her was one of the most beautiful boys she had ever seen. He had lavender colored hair that was falling into his face and his blue eyes were looking her over worriedly. Seeing his apparent scrutiny she felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Uh. Hi," she said weakly.

"Trunks move. I need to get a look at her." Hotaru's view was immediately removed and replaced with a woman wearing a lab coat with blue hair in a ponytail. "Hotaru right?" Hotaru nodded weakly. "Well, your friends explained to me about your powers and that this will usually happen if you overdo yourself so I'm just going to check your vitals before I decide whether or not you should be up and around. OK?"

Hotaru merely nodded again as a response. "I'm Bulma by the way." As the strange woman began to check Hotaru's pulse she nodded behind her and began to speak, "The guy back there is Trunks. You'll have to excuse his manners for not introducing himself sooner. He gets it from his father. I'd be worried but he takes enough after me to even it out."

Hotaru glanced around her to see the lavender haired boy or Trunks as it turned out. He nodded at her in recognition but still looked worried. 'He can't be worried for me could he?' she asked herself incredulously.

The woman named Bulma continued to speak but Hotaru continued to look at Trunks until something the older woman said caught her attention. "Stay?" she asked surprised.

"Yep kiddo. Trunks and I have invited your friends and you to stay here with us. Kami knows we have enough rooms that no one is using."

A million thoughts raced through Hotaru's mind at that moment. They would no longer have to move every couple of weeks. They would be safe. They wouldn't be in constant danger. They would have food. Wait a minute! Stay here with BOTH of them! Hotaru felt her gaze return to Trunks and her eyes widened as her blush returned with a vengeance.

*~*~*

Rei walked out of the lab with Usagi, Makoto, Hotaru, and Trunks after Bulma had told them Hotaru was recovered but should rest. Watching Trunks and Hotaru steal glances at each other she wondered if either of them had heard a single word that Bulma had said. Ami was still in the lab talking with Bulma and going over possible treatments for Minako.

They were heading to another wing of the house so Trunks could show them the rooms they could choose from. Rei's head was still spinning. This place was huge! 'I'm going to get lost whenever I step out of my room,' she thought as she watched the way they took carefully, hoping she would be able to recognize the way later.

They stopped in yet another hallway lined with doors.

"No one is staying in the rooms in this hallway so you can choose any room you want," Trunks said. "My room is in that direction in case you need anything," he added pointing down the hall to their right.

The girls said their thanks and went through the rooms to find their own. They had each found a room in less than 5 minutes. None of the rooms had too many differences so there was no reason to be too picky about it and none of them had much in the way of possessions so there was no reason to fuss over closet size either.

Feeling hungry the others went down to the kitchen while Rei feigned sleepiness and stayed in her new room. Collapsing onto the bed Rei let relax into the mattress. It had been far to long since she had slept in a real bed. Sighing she rolled over onto her side to look out the window. The curtains were open so she had quite the view of the sky beyond. Luckily with the way she was laying she couldn't see anything but the sky. No collapsing buildings and no cracked streets to mar the view. The sky was a pretty pale blue and there were a few white, fluffy clouds in the sky. It gave no hint whatsoever of the destruction that it looked down on daily. Rei rolled back over onto her back and trailed her gaze along the ceiling.

She needed to think. She needed a way to find her pendant and get it back. She still remembered around where she must have lost it. The battle that had taken place over head had made sure she wouldn't forget that place. She knew the others wouldn't let her go out by herself but she didn't want them wandering around there with her either. It would be too dangerous for them to put themselves in danger just for her. She didn't feel like she knew Trunks and Bulma well enough yet to ask for their help. 'I'll have to sneak out and do it by myself when no one will notice.'

*~*~*

Sitting at the table in the kitchen Hotaru looked around with interest, doing her best not to look over at her companion. Not that it mattered if she looked now or not. She had sat gawking at him enough while he ate. 'How can one person eat that much?!' Trunks could really put it away. Hotaru was still working on her first sandwich. Makoto had eaten and left to take sandwiches to Bulma and Ami. Usagi had gone to explore their new home. Now she was alone with him and utterly terrified.

Hotaru had no experience with boys. She had never really been around them since hitting her teens.

"How were you able to heal me earlier?" the sudden question made Hotaru whip her head around in surprise.

'What do I tell him?' she thought. She wasn't that sure how much the others had told these strangers yet and didn't want to give anything away. Deciding that since no one had pulled her aside to warn her not to say anything they probably already knew and it wouldn't really matter what she said now. For some reason she felt like she could trust Trunks anyway.

"I'm not totally sure myself," Hotaru started. "I was born with the ability."

"Were either of your parents able to do it too?" asked Trunks, suddenly curious.

"My father wasn't and he never said anything about my mother being able to," answered Hotaru. She sat looking sadly at the table for a moment.

Trunks realizing this probably wasn't a subject he needed to be getting on hurried to think of something else to say. "How long have you known the other girls?"

"Since I was eight," she answered quietly. She felt like she should try to explain. "When my dad passed away I went to live with an aunt and then the androids attacked. I eventually ended up at Rei's grandfather's temple."

"It's good to have friends," Trunks said trying to lighten her mood.

"Yeah," Hotaru answered with a slight grin. She began to ask him questions about his family and life and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking. Hotaru started feeling far more at ease with the boy when they realized they had some things in common. They both had lost at least one parent and they each had one that had been a scientist. They both had weird abilities that most people wouldn't understand. Trunks chose to leave out the fact that he was half alien for the time being though.

*~*~*

When night finally fell Rei lay in bed awake for a few minutes waiting for the sounds on her hall to die down and giving the other residents in the house time to fall a sleep. She had managed to get a nap in during the day, luckily dream free, so she was hoping to stay wide awake while she was outside. She didn't want to be half asleep while walking through possible android territory.

Climbing out of bed she changed out of the nightgown Bulma had given her to sleep in and changed into her regular outfit of a red tank top, faded and ripped jeans, and tugged on her brown sleeveless jacket. She picked up her hiking boots and walking over to her bedroom door she peaked out to see if the coast was clear.

She had to sneak from her bedroom, down the stairs, and out the front door without getting caught. Saying it was easier then doing it, but she got lucky for once and was able to pull it off. Bulma and Ami were too busy with their work in the lab so that they hadn't seen her slipping past the door.

After making it outside she slipped her shoes on and started off. Rei had watched the way they had taken in the car and knew how to get to the site of the android fight from earlier from Capsule Corp and hopefully find her necklace.

*~*~*

"She has no sense of humor," Seventeen grumbled to himself. He was walking around one of the cities he and his twin had destroyed since he had nothing better to do. Right now his sister was avoiding him like the plague since she was pissed off at him for putting the itching powder in her underwear drawer. He thought she was overreacting. He had found the entire incident quite amusing.

'This is so dull,' he thought to himself.

Suddenly his sensitive hearing picked up footsteps just a little ahead of him. Feeling like he had nothing to lose and he might as well go check it out he flew up a little ways into the air and went to where he had heard the sounds.

*~*~*

Rei cursed under her breath. It was very doubtful now whether or not she would find it and the chances were getting worse. She hadn't brought a flashlight because that would most likely catch the attention of someone she didn't want noticing her. So she had pretty much been reduced to depending on the moon and that wasn't helping much. She hadn't even known where she was until she had tripped over the spot where she and Makoto had been reduced to hiding during the android attack.

She glanced around and when something shiny caught her attention she hurried over to examine it. Her hope was short lived as she recognized the logo of a once popular soda company. Tossing the crumbled can rather forcibly into a pile of debris she cursed under her breath a little bit more as she bit back a scream of frustration. She began to look around a little more until something happened to fill her stomach with a feeling of cold terror.

"Now what did that can ever do to you?" came a smooth male voice from behind her.

Rei turned but all she could see was a figure standing in the shadows. She could barely make out the outline of their body. She glared at them with all the malice and anger she could manage, refusing to show just how scared she was.

"What do you want? Who are you?" she demanded.

After a pause that made Rei question whether or not he had just turned and left without letting her know she got an answer. "Oh nothing. Just looking for a bit of entertainment is all," he continued in that same smooth voice.

Rei straightened her back and held her head high, "If you're looking for entertainment you're not going to get it from me." She turned and stalked off. She managed to fight the urge to turn around and watch to see if he followed.

*~*~*

When she was gone Seventeen stepped out of the shadows. The moonlight reflected off his hair as he turned to watch where the girl had disappeared to.

Originally he had been trying to decide if he should just blast her or scare her and blast her. He had decided on the second and had landed and spoke up after being amused at her display of temper with the unfortunate can.

When she had turned and he had gotten a full view of her face he had been struck with the weirdest feeling of déjà vu. He then easily evaded her questioning as to who he was. Puzzling over why she should seem familiar he had hardly noticed when she had turned to leave. Now he was even more confused as to why he hadn't blasted her then.

'You don't know who she is,' his mind whispered. It's not like that had ever stopped him before.

'But you feel like you should know her,' his mind whispered again. That he had no answer to.

He went home deciding he didn't really care how ticked his sister was at the moment. Seventeen was now more confused then ever.

That night his dreams were consumed by the little girl that had cried for her father, a young woman who was no longer a little girl whose eyes flashed with anger, and the fiery bird that had protected both.

Author's Notes: Remember to review!


	8. Part 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or Sailor Moon. Dragonball Z and all of its characters belong to Akira Toriyama. Sailor Moon and all of its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

Author's Notes: This is the chapter that I have been dying to write since I started this thing. Remember to review!

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 8

Rei sat in the kitchen of the Capsule Corp building drinking a cup of strong coffee and listening to the chatter of the other girls around her. Trunks was training somewhere in another part of the building and Bulma was in the lab. This left the rest of them to fend for themselves in the kitchen. Makoto had found some cooking books and everyone was discovering that she had quite the knack for cooking.

"We think we may have found some old medical records on what Minako has so it shouldn't be long until we are able to come up with some medicine that should work. Right now we are just going to keep her comfortable and in antibiotics," Ami answered after being questioned of their friend's possible recovery.

Rei sighed in relief. They had gotten worried about Minako's condition while they were living on their own and this was a welcome relief. Right now Rei welcomed any sign of good news. The past week had not been a pleasant one. It had all started when she had left to look for her pendant and had run into that stranger. She still didn't know who the guy was nor did she particularly care to find out. Since that night though she had suffered from some of the worst nightmares she had ever had. Last night she hadn't slept at all. She had sat up in her room and read books found in the downstairs library until morning. The strong, black coffee in front of her and the pounding that was beginning to form in her head just behind the eyes were testament to her lack of sleep.

Turning her attention back to the conversation going on around her, Rei took a sip of her drink and listened as Usagi questioned Hotaru extensively about 'just what was going on with Trunks'. Rei felt sorry for the girl. The moment Minako was in speaking condition Hotaru would be expected to give every detail since meeting him and to pay particular attention to 'the good stuff'. She watched, amused, as Hotaru tried to convince the others that her and the purple haired warrior were nothing more then friends. They didn't believe it for a moment. Somehow during the past week the two had started hanging around each other quite a bit and it was obvious to all those around them that they were falling for each other, assuming that they hadn't fallen already.

"Bulma asked if we would help her go looking for more medical supplies later and I said we would. Do you guys mind?" asked Ami pushing aside her plate that had been emptied except for the occasional toast crumb.

"No problem," Makoto said with a wave of her hand.

"We'd be glad to help," said Hotaru.

"I'm in," Usagi chirped.

Rei merely grunted her agreement. Her head still hurt and unless she managed a nap soon or something she was going to be very 'disagreeable' on the scavenging outing.

They had learned since coming here that scavenging was still required if you wanted to eat anything that couldn't be grown. There was a garden tended by servant bots and machines to keep them in vegetables and fruit. If you wanted meat Trunks knew where some small villages were set up that still had markets. He would fly there sometimes when they needed more. The villages were to far for them to go on their own though.

Ami told them that someone was going to have to stay with Minako just in case she woke up while they were gone. Hotaru agreed to do so since Minako didn't know either Bulma or Trunks and with her healing power it seemed like a good idea.

"Now that that is taken care of Hotaru can enlighten us on her relationship with that gorgeous Trunks," Usagi perked up once the conversation had apparently ended.

As Hotaru blushed Rei couldn't help but to laugh despite her mood.

*~*~*

A few hours later found the group of girls working their way through crates, drugstores, and debris. Bulma was checking things off on a list she carried, Ami was trying to explain what some medicines were for to Usagi, and Makoto was carrying a box to the capsule car they had brought with them. Bulma had ended up pleading with Trunks that they would be fine on their own and that he should stay at Capsule Corp. Rei had the sneaking suspicion that the blue haired woman had noticed Trunks's interest in Hotaru and was hoping this would help her son get married off.

Rei looked over everything assembled by the capsule car. They still hadn't collected any bandages. She hadn't seen any in among the things that were among the rest of the junk in this store except one or two rolls that had been stained and dirtied enough to be considered unsalvageable.

"Bulma, we still don't have any bandages," Rei turned to the blue haired woman.

"Hm," Bulma said while staring at the sky for a moment in thought, "I believe we passed a sports supplies store. They might have some."

After Bulma pointed Rei in the direction she needed to go she left the drugstore.

*~*~*

Seventeen hovered over the city waiting for his sister to get done. She had once again drug him along on one of her tediously dull shopping trips. He had decided to come up here so that he could take pot shots at buildings instead of standing outside the store like he was her damn dog.

He had begun to get bored again until he noticed some activity taking place in one of the streets. It was a group of human women loading up a car. He chuckled at their stupidity to be moving around out in the open like this. With a little bit of surprise he recognized one girl with long raven black hair.

*~*~*

'Now where would those things be,' Rei thought. She pushed some more junk off of the shelves but still didn't see any bandages. She was starting to get angry enough to throw something again.

"Well at least you're not taking your anger out on a harmless can this time."

The voice was faintly mocking, familiar, and coming from directly behind her. She caught herself before she could jump or shriek in surprise. 'Point for me,' she thought dazedly. She expected to see a figure cloaked in shadows again. She was very surprised at what she got.

She saw a boy around her age wearing a black t-shirt over a long sleeved white shirt, ripped jeans, and a red bandanna. He had hair that came to just above his shoulders and was so dark she could make out blue highlights cast by the light filtering through the broken windows. He was leaning against a counter with his arms crossed in front of his chest. A cocky smirk played across his lips. His entire posture exuded confidence. Something about him tugged at her memory but she ignored it. Pale blue eyes were giving her the same scrutiny she was giving him.

Rei straightened herself to her full height and squared her shoulders glaring at him all the while. She did not like it that a cocky bastard like him seemed to think he could sneak up on her any time he damn well pleased.

"May I ask what you find so fascinating as to sneak up on me continually?" Rei asked hotly. Her own arms were crossed defiantly across her chest.

He raised an eyebrow apparently amused at her attitude, "I hardly call twice continually."

Rei's eyes narrowed. She was not amused in the least. "Why do I get the feeling you have no intention of telling me why you've been following me?"

The stranger actually looked indignant for a moment, "Why would I waste my time on following you? This has been nothing more then a coincidence. An unpleasant one at that." Before she could yell at him for that comment he spoke again, "What are you up to in here anyway?" He was eyeing the piles of junk that lay at her feet where she had tossed them in her search.

She considered snapping at him about how it was none of his business what she was doing in there but thought better of it. He hadn't made a move to hurt her yet so it was probably best not to push it just yet. Even if he was infuriatingly annoying.

"Bandages," she bit out between clenched teeth. She was having a harder time keeping her temper then she would have liked. It was that jerk's fault.

The mystery guy merely reached behind the counter and threw something white at her. She caught it automatically and looked down. I was a roll of bandages.

"All you had to do was look you know," he was smirking again. 'Great,' Rei thought, 'like he needs anymore of a confidence boost.'

She stood glaring at him again. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a voice from outside.

"Rei! Hurry up! We need to get going!" called Usagi.

Rei muttered something unpleasant about the intelligence of blonds everywhere. She could have sworn that she heard the guy that was with her grunt in agreement. She turned to leave without another word but was stopped by an arm around her waist. She jerked around to give him a verbal lashing for what he had done when she was stopped by his lips on hers. It was only for perhaps a second but it was enough to shock Rei speechless. When he suddenly pulled back he looked just as confused as she felt. She blinked and he was suddenly gone.

She looked around the store but found no sign of him. After gathering more bandages from behind the counter she went outside to meet up with Usagi in a numb shock and took no notice to the blonde's questioning gaze.

When she had tossed the bandages with the rest of the supplies that were being readied to be capsulated she climbed into the back of the car. Thoughts were buzzing around her head like a beehive. She had just been kissed. She had gotten her _first _kiss. 'And I didn't even know the guy's name!' Rei let her head land against the glass of the window with a thud.

*~*~*

"What do you look so smug about?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Yeah, sure, there is no reason whatsoever behind you wearing that damn smirk since I went shopping. I'll find out what you're up to Seventeen."

"What makes you say that? I'm not up to anything dear sister."

"You're always up to something."

*~*~*

__

She could hear the cries of the child that she had dreamt of before. She didn't question how she knew who it was. She was running through a darkened street. People were screaming from the way she had come. They were attacking again. The androids.

She continued to run. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and her heart felt like it was up in her throat. She continued to run. 

The city was burning around her and there was nothing she could do. Smoke filled her vision. It clogged her nose and forced her to slow her flight. She held a hand to her mouth to stop the coughs that racked her body. It wasn't long before she was forced to her knees by the effort it was just to breathe.

Her eyes watered as the smoke stung them and she tried to find a way out. The smoke was too thick. She couldn't see anything but the dim shadows of the buildings she had seen set a flame, moments before. She wrapped her arms around her now aching ribs. She watched as a shadow seemed to appear in the smoke. She watched as it took shape. It was a person. She watched them near. She watched as the smoke seemed to recede from them. She recognized them. Everything became frighteningly clear as she looked into cold ice blue eyes.

Rei sat up with a start as she panted for breath. She reached up a hand to push sweat soaked bangs off of her forehead. It couldn't be true could it? It was him. He couldn't be one. It didn't happen. Her thoughts just jumbled and bounced around her panic stricken mind.

'He's an android. I got my first kiss from an android,' was the only thought that was clear. 

Rei screamed.

************************************************************************

Author's Notes: I feel a little bad for how I ended that. Oh well. It'll pass. We finally see a chance at a relationship between Rei and 17 and I have to go and mess with it don't I. *insert evil grin*

Let me know what you think!


	9. Part 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or any of its characters. They belong to Akira Toriyama. I am making no money from this piece of fan fiction.

Author's Notes: More 17/Rei action for those that have requested it. I don't have much else to say except thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Please remember to review and let me know what you think about this chapter!

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 9

She was lying down. That much was obvious. Her head was still horribly clouded and she didn't expend the effort it would take to open her eyes. She let her fingertips roam the surface underneath her. It was soft and warm. That was unexpected. It felt like she was in a bed but how had she gotten there? She hadn't slept in a real bed in ages.

"Wh…where?" she heard her own voice say weakly.

"I think she's waking up!" called a familiar voice. 'Ami?'

"Let me get a look," said another voice. This one she didn't recognize.

Someone pulled back one of her eyelids and suddenly there was a bright light shining directly in her eye. Both eyes went wide for a second in shock before she tried to squeeze them shut.

"Hey! A little warning would be nice!" her voice was a lot stronger now.

"Yeah I think she's doing better now," said that same stranger voice from earlier. She opened her eyes again and eyed the blue haired woman in front of her warily. She had been the one to assault her eyes with that little flashlight after all.

"Minako? How do you feel?" said a very worried Ami.

"I feel like I've got little purple aliens in my head and they are doing the tango," she answered. "Is there anything to eat around here? I'm starved. Where is here anyway?"

*~*~*

Rei paced her room. 'Damn it! What am I supposed to do?' This is the way things had been since that night when she had woke up to a very frightening revelation. An android had kissed her. She stopped her pacing long enough to shutter in revulsion.

When she had woke up and screamed Trunks and the rest of the girls had come running to find out what had happened. She had still been too stunned to really react to anything going on around her but she remembered muttering some excuse about a nightmare. She couldn't bring herself to voice the truth aloud yet. It was far to frightening to know that one of the reasons her world was half destroyed had been standing directly in front of her and she hadn't even known. 'I should have known!' she berated herself. 

'Wait a minute why hadn't my sixth sense let me know something.' This stopped her in her tracks. Why hadn't it? Granted it wasn't always reliable but when something that major was happening it should have given her some kind of warning. The android should have been a big enough threat to set it off.

She decided not to even think of _why _he had kissed her in the first place. With what she knew of the androids and their motivations she would end up with enough material to give her nightmares for weeks.

Excited shouts in the hallway would have gone unnoticed if it hadn't of been for the blond spore that had suddenly attached itself to her. 

"Get off!" Rei pulled futilely at Usagi's shoulders in the hopes of removing her.

"Rei! She's awake!" It took Rei a full five minutes to realize what must have happened. She quickly shoved the clinging girl to the ground with renewed strength and raced out the door.

When she made it down stairs she ran into the living room where she saw something that made her nearly cry with joy. Minako was on the couch propped up against a pile of pillows talking with Ami and Makoto. Rei couldn't resist the urge to envelope her friend in a hug when she saw her. The evening was spent with friends, _all _of her friends.

*~*~*

A week after Minako had woke up an argument had ensued over a trip that was going to be run to take care of a few errands. Bulma and Ami were in firm agreement that Minako was not recovered enough to go. Minako didn't see it that way.

Three hours, a broken glass, and several headaches later Bulma had finally argued the blonde into submission. Since Trunks was quite avid about not letting the group go out on their own all alone again he would be leaving with them and, unsurprisingly, Hotaru was going this time too. That left an opening for someone to stay and keep Minako company. The girl was in worse shape then she would ever admit to. She had spent most of the last two days sleeping and whenever she was awake you could see the signs of exhaustion drawn onto her face. Rei quickly volunteered to be the one to stay at Capsule Corp. Her last two trips out were still etched into her memory and she had no desire for another coincidental run in with a certain someone.

*~*~*

Seventeen was thinking. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He still wasn't totally sure of his reasoning behind kissing that girl. That _human _girl. It just didn't make any sense. He shouldn't have even had the desire to talk to her in the first place so why had he let her live twice and kissed her once. It was all to confusing. The only explanation he had been able to come up with so far that seemed even slightly plausible were the weird dreams he had been having. He couldn't explain those either.

To make matters worse his dear sister had figured out that something was up with him and had been watching him like a hawk since the day before. She probably thought he was acting weird because he was planning a prank on her or something. He wished that was the reason behind his change in behavior.

For some damn reason he couldn't get the girl out of his head either. He was more then just a little tempted to see if he could find her. It wasn't like it would be that hard. She had been with a group of women with a capsule car. There weren't to many of those around anymore. Hell, the only place that would probably have one would be Capsule Corp. They had never really bothered with blasting that place to hell yet. He would just have to find a way to catch her while she was alone. As much fun as pounding Trunks was the guy had a habit of popping up at the worst possible moments.

He cut his thoughts off with a violent shake of his head when it hit him he was actually sitting here trying to come up with a plan to see some human girl again. A human girl whose name he didn't even know. Suddenly he smirked. He would just have to find out what her name was now wouldn't he and the best way to find out was to ask her.

*~*~*

Rei yawned as she walked into the kitchen. Minako was asleep again and that left her to start her late lunch. She had put it off to fix something for Minako earlier and was simply ravenous now.

Reaching into a cabinet she found a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. She wanted to fix something fast and easy. As she was spreading the peanut butter over a slice of bread with a butter knife she looked up suddenly. For some reason she had the oddest feeling of being watched. She grasped the dull knife in her hand tightly, not that it would do any good if someone was in the house anyway. It made her feel better to be holding something for some reason.

Nothing in the kitchen had moved or changed since she had come in. Something in the hallway across from her had though. The lights in the hallway were off, of course, so all you could see in the darkness were darker shadows stretching out across the floor. One of them hadn't been there when she had come into the kitchen. She was sure of it.

Her eyes widened and she took a step back. She knew all the blood had just drained from her face without needing a mirror. Fear made her breathing fast and harsh in her throat. She backed up again and felt her lower back impact with the counter behind her. 'It can't be! It can't be! Why would he come here!' she screamed frantically in her mind. She glanced down at her right hand almost numbly. She was gripping the knife so tightly her nails had just broken the fleshy skin on her palm. A few drops of blood had dripped down her fingers and she hadn't even noticed. She didn't even feel the pain yet. She knew she would later. If there was a later.

When she looked up again he was suddenly there. Right there. He was perched on the counter only a foot in front of her. Her natural response to his sudden movement was to try and lean back a little further away from him. That movement gave her maybe an inch at most. His posture appeared relaxed but she couldn't tell anything from his expression. Whatever he was thinking he was hiding it well. His eyes were kept trained on her face without saying a single word. This made her very uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly, wanting to break the silence. She was relieved to hear her voice come out steady and with no trace of the fear she knew was written all over her face.

He didn't answer. His eyes drifted down to the knife still in a death lock in her hand. Finally Android Seventeen spoke, "What are you going to do butter me to death?" His voice was practically dripping with mocking sarcasm.

Rei's eyes narrowed. Her temper flared at the comment irrationally. Rationally she would be more concerned with escape but she suddenly wanted to put this jerk in his place. He was in _her _home without an invitation and insulting her. She knew if she said this aloud the words would sound foolish to her own ears but she didn't really care.

"You haven't answered my question," she ground out. His face was no longer indifferent. He appeared amused at her show of temper if the smirk playing on his lips was any indication. He reached out and deftly freed the knife from her nerveless fingers. When she felt his fingers brush hers she shrank back from his touch. Fear was creeping back at the edges of her anger. His expression was blank again as he calmly set the knife on the counter next to him.

"Obviously you know I'm one of the androids so I'm not going to bother introducing myself as Seventeen," he said without any tone or inflection. "What's your name girl?"

Rei snorted. She said bitterly, "Like you care."

He just sat and stared at her with a raised eyebrow. He obviously would not be moving and neither would she until he had some sort of an answer. Finally she rolled her eyes in defeat and answered simply, "Rei."

Before anything else could be said Rei found herself pressed against his body by one of his arms while the other hand was clamped firmly over her mouth. She hadn't even seen him move. In fact he hadn't. He was still sitting on the counter top but now he had her held in front of him. Looking fearfully out of the corner of her eye she saw him looking behind them with his eyes narrowed in suspicion and his head cocked slightly as if he was listening to something. 'Oh no. Please don't let it be Minako.'

After a few moments that took five years off of Rei's life he dropped the hand that was held over her mouth. The arm wrapped around her waist was still present though. It was incredibly annoying and frustrating knowing he only needed one arm to render her completely immobile.

"How can one person make that much noise just to turn on a fan?" he asked obviously not expecting an answer. It had to have been Minako. Her thoughts must have shown on her face. "Don't worry I have no immediate plans to kill your friends."

"And why exactly should I believe you?" she asked testily.

"I haven't done anything to you since I've been here now have I?" he said smoothly. He was smirking at her again. She was growing to really hate that smirk.

She glared at the cabinets across from her, not wanting to look at him. "Are you going to let me go or not?" she asked angrily refusing to acknowledge the fact that he was right.

In answer he dropped his head to prop his chin on her shoulder. She turned back to look at him in surprise. Seventeen raised his eyebrows in a bemused expression practically daring her to say anything. Words had abandoned Rei so she made how she felt about that action very clear in the glare she directed at him. He just grinned.

"Jerk," she muttered. She saw his grin widen.

She saw him lean towards her and she closed her eyes automatically. When she felt his lips on hers she started a little in surprise. It was a short kiss much like the last one. Also like the last one when she opened her eyes again he was already gone and she had no idea where he had went. She looked around the kitchen that was now empty except for herself and was shocked to realize she was mad at him for just suddenly leaving.

Looking at the unfinished sandwich on the counter she decided she had lost her appetite and went to the gym she had found when exploring the building earlier. She hadn't used it yet but now she was so aggravated she needed some way to work off her excess energy. She spent the rest of the night hitting a punching bag.

*~*~*

Someone stood on a rooftop away from the Capsule Corp building but within viewing distance. She saw the boy with shoulder length raven black hair as he had entered and left the building. She saw as the dark haired girl had walked by a window to another place in the building that she couldn't see into. When she had seen enough she turned to leave and swiped blonde strands of hair out of her face as she did.

*~*~*

As Rei let the last of her anger and frustration leak into her punches and kicks she heard someone calling her name to try and get her attention. Turning she saw Usagi standing in the gym's doorway. The group must have gotten back already. With a start of panic she realized she had almost totally forgotten about Minako. 'I hope she didn't try to call for me.'

"What?" she asked the blonde.

"I found this in the kitchen. I figured you had dropped it," Usagi said holding something up that dangled from a golden chain.

Rei felt the world around her sway as she stared open mouthed at the familiar pendant that she had given up hope of finding. She closed her mouth and tried to look a bit more like herself when she noticed Usagi staring at her. She walked up to accept her pendant from her.

"Um, thanks. Where was it?" she asked as she rolled it around in her hand.

"It was lying in the floor next to the counter," Usagi explained. "Were you making a sandwich because there was one sitting out?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I decided I wasn't really hungry anymore. You can have it."

"Thanks," Usagi replied a little to cheerfully.

"You've already eaten it haven't you," Rei accused after giving her a measuring look. Usagi laughed nervously before running out the door shouting back some excuse about helping Ami on her way out.

When she was gone Rei put the necklace back on and fingered the pendant deep in thought. The only way it could have gotten here was if Seventeen had had it. Why had he had it?

Rei quietly made her way back up to her room in the dim hope of escaping into a dreamless sleep.


	10. Part 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or Sailor Moon. Dragonball Z and all of its characters belong to Akira Toriyama. Sailor Moon and all of its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

Author's Notes: I know this took a while to get out but with school and a nasty case of writer's block I was having trouble producing a chapter I could be happy with. I finally managed to get some ideas for the story going in my head and I was able to get this installment done. Enjoy!

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 10

Rei sat in bed already wearing her pajamas even though it was only the afternoon. She had one hand clasped around the phoenix pendant that she had gotten back the night before. All of this was becoming far too weird, with or without the newly found pendant. The killer cyborg that seemed to live to torment her at the moment was plenty to have to deal with as far as she was concerned.

She couldn't bring herself to tell the others about what had happened so far. Not only was it creepy it was pretty embarrassing. She _really _didn't want to discuss the kiss. Well kisses. Minako would have a field day with that! The girl was a hopeless romantic and when, no, _if _she heard about this she would probably start preaching something about how Rei could change him or some nonsense. Rei snorted at the thought. 'I'm pretty sure I would need Ami's help and a very good computer manual for that,' she thought dryly.

A knock on her bedroom door made her look up. "Come in," she called from habit.

A blonde head poked itself through the door opening. "Rei, are you ok?" Usagi asked, her expression one of obvious concern. She should have known they would have started noticing that she was acting differently sometime.

Before she could lie to the girl she stopped herself. Usagi tended to have a big mouth but she had to tell someone and vent sometime before her head exploded. Sighing she made her decision. "Usagi sit down. I have something to tell you." And she told her. _Everything_.

………………….

"Oh how dreamy," Usagi said starry eyed.

"There's more," Rei said despairingly.

………………….

"AN ANDR-"

"Quiet! I don't need Trunks ripping my door off its hinges just because you shouted 'android'."

………………….

"HE WHAT!?" Usagi all but screamed before Rei's hand was clamped down over her mouth.

"He kissed me," Rei supplied exasperated.

………………….

"Wow," Usagi muttered wide-eyed. "No wonder you were acting weird."

"You have to swear you won't tell anyone," Rei said seriously.

"They should-" she was cut off by the withering glare Rei was giving her. "All right," she sighed, defeated, "I swear."

"Thank you," Rei said slouching. It had taken longer then she had expected to get everything out and it was full dark now.

"I don't think there is any kind of advice that I can give you, Rei," Usagi said, "but if you ever need to talk like this again you can always come to me."

The raven-haired girl smiled warmly, "Thanks."

Usagi gave Rei a friendly hug before leaving to get to bed. Not likely that she would be able to get any sleep with what Rei had just told her, but she might as well try. Rei was thankful she had been already in her pajamas as she climbed under the sheets of her own bed and dozed off with a much lighter heart than she had the night before.

*~*~*

Eighteen landed a few feet away from her brother, where he sat on the edge of the roof. He was brooding again. It seemed like it was his new hobby lately. From what she had seen the night before it wasn't his only one.

She narrowed her eyes in annoyance and placed her hands on her hips. "I know," she said simply and without preamble.

"What? That your skirt makes you look fat," he said shortly not turning to look at her. She ignored the remark knowing it was said to distract her.

"You should stay away from the girl," she said scornfully. Her enhanced senses saw the furious expression on his face at her words.

"Since when do you think I will take orders from you," Seventeen said turning an icy glare onto his sister. His arms crossed arrogantly in front of him.

"She's _human_," Eighteen filled the word with all the disgust she felt at the thought. For this Seventeen had no answer and he turned to glare balefully out at the clouds in the night sky as if they had caused all his problems.

Eighteen stayed a few minutes more but after it had been made clear that her twin wasn't going to say anything, she took to the air from boredom at his lack of response.

*~*~*

She was wrapped in a feeling of warmth. She could smell lilies and the scent of fresh earth. The air was clean and crisp like after a rainfall. The sky overhead was a clear blue and cloudless. The grass was soft and seemed to work as padding for where she sat. She was sitting with her back against the trunk of a massive willow tree. A gentle breeze blew and a few renegade strands of hair blew into her eyes. The moss and leaves that were in the tree's branches wafted with the breeze. Before her was a field of wild flowers.

She leaned back against the tree trunk with a contented sigh. This was bliss. She closed her eyes as she gave herself over to the contented atmosphere. She didn't open her eyes until she felt something touch her cheek. It hadn't actually been a touch more like a brush, light and brief. Opening her eyes she saw the fluttering of butterfly wings. They were pale ice blue with black markings on the tips. She held still afraid to frighten away the odd little creature. If she wasn't about to be so rudely disturbed she might have sat there and watched it for a while longer.

Rei felt her body jerk and as it did she closed her eyes. When she opened them again she found herself looking not at an interesting butterfly but two very annoying, in her opinion, familiar ice blue eyes just inches from her face. When she opened her mouth to give the asshole the tongue-lashing he so rightfully deserved a hand came up to cover her mouth before she could utter a single syllable.

"If you start yelling you'll wake up the entire house and I'm sure you don't want me taking out half of your wall," came a familiar mocking voice. "If you promise to be a good girl and not yell at me until my ears bleed, I'll move my hand."

Rei growled something unpleasant about Seventeen's appearance, family, personality, and assigned him several creative places he could relocate to, but with his hand still over her mouth it only came out as muffled nonsense.

"I'll take that as to meaning that you are agreeing to my perfectly reasonable terms," Seventeen said as he removed his hand completely ignoring the glare she was giving him that was custom designed to melt objects at five meters distance. It was beginning to seriously annoy her how he could do that.

"What are you doing in my room?" she ground out. Inside she flinched when she realized what she had asked. Part of her really, _really _didn't want to know why a dangerous and homicidal android was in her room. She waited for his answer anyway.

It was dark enough that she couldn't read his expression but she could have sworn she heard him raise an eyebrow. "Tired of my pleasant company already?" she heard him ask.

"How's annoyed by your very existence sound?" she asked in turn. She glared at the shadowed form where he had decided to lean against the wall. Something else he was doing that managed to get on her nerves.

"Not very nice at all actually," he responded without budging.

She continued to glare balefully at him for a few moments longer waiting to see if he would say anything as why he was there. He remained silent. 'Of course when I want him to shut up he has to open his mouth but when I need answers he clams up,' she thought acidly.

"_Well_?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well what?" It took every ounce of self-control Rei had not to scream in indignant rage at that moment. He must have been able to see her face despite the lack of light. "Oh you mean what am I doing here?" She thought she heard him hesitate for a moment. "I was bored," he said finally.

"Bored?" Rei asked dumbfounded. What kind of answer was that?! She asked him.

"I was bored. I had nothing better to do _so_…" he left the sentence hanging.

"So you just thought 'Hey why not just drag some poor girl awake and annoy the heck out of her'. Am I getting warm?" she asked.

"Something along those lines," he sounded amused.

"Why don't you just tell me why you're here then?" she gave an exasperated sigh and mentally counted down from ten. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.

"Why bother with telling you when I can just show you?" Her eyes snapped open. She didn't think she was going to like this. When she felt an arm wrap around her waist and was suddenly out in the open night air, she knew she didn't like it. Seventeen must have jumped out of the same window he had entered through because suddenly both of them were flying through the air.

"Bastard!" she shouted as she wrapped her arms around Seventeen's neck to keep from falling to her demise. Call her paranoid, but she didn't trust the restraining arm around her waist to keep her safe. She heard his amused chuckle in her ear. Rei knew he was probably smiling, but she didn't want to have to open her eyes to confirm her suspicion.

'Bastard,' she thought to herself.


	11. Part 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or Sailor Moon. Dragonball Z and all of its characters belong to Akira Toriyama. Sailor Moon and all of its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

Author's Notes: *looks at the fans and reviewers that are screaming for her blood* I updated! See! I haven't given up on this fic yet and don't intend to. It's just hard to get a chance to sit down and write when the urge strikes me too. Unfortunately for us decides to strike at school while I'm busy taking notes or a test.

Remember to review!

Altered Destinies

Kynthia

Part 11

Rei buried her face in Seventeen's shoulder as she did her best not to look at the ground that was whizzing by below them. As she did so she felt his arm around her waist tighten in response. What was going on? If he was planning on killing her, why hadn't he done it yet? Was this all just some kind of sick game he was playing? The questions chased themselves around in circles inside of Rei's mind. The questions made her dizzier than the heights did.

She kept her eyes closed and her arms around Seventeen's neck. She was damned if she was going to trust her safety to him. She tried not to think about how her safety really depended on whatever mood he was in at the moment.

As they flew her hair whipped around her body and the cool air brought up goose bumps on her arms. She was thankful for the small miracle that her pajama bottoms went down to her ankles. To bad she wasn't wearing socks. If she survived this she was going to invest in flannel pajamas with a long sleeved shirt. Damn sleeveless.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked. Her voice was muffled by the shirt her face was pressed against.

"You'll find out," he said cryptically. She decided to hell with safety and that she would kick him the minute she touched ground for that statement.

*~*~*

Hotaru padded down the stairs to the kitchen. She had been having trouble sleeping and thought she would get a glass of water. First she had to make sure she didn't trip on her way down the stairs. She could barely make out the line of some of the steps and prayed she wouldn't fall. She did not want to end up back in the medical ward.

When she reached the first floor she breathed a sigh of relief and began walking to the kitchen. She stopped when she saw the soft glow of light coming through a door crack. Curious, she peeped in and saw Bulma and Minako sitting on the couch watching TV with a big bowl of popcorn sitting between them. This surprised Hotaru since there no longer were any television stations that could broadcast. Pushing open the door she walked in quietly.

Bulma saw her anyway and motioned for her to join them. She sat down on the space closest to her and that happened to be the seat next to Bulma on the couch.

"What are you watching?" she asked as she reached for a handful of popcorn.

"Bulma has some great movies on tape and she's letting me watch one," Minako said after swallowing her own handful of popcorn. Hotaru was a little surprised that Usagi wasn't here already with the smell of food in the air.

"She really should be in bed but I've been looking for a reason to watch some of these again," Bulma said without taking her eyes from the screen.

Hotaru watched the movie with them for a few minutes while she tried to figure out what was going on. After a while it became evident that it was a romance and there were a few scenes that made her blush slightly. The three women were pretty quiet through the movie except the occasional giggle from Minako. When a noise came from the doorway all three jumped at least an inch off their seats.

"What are you guys doing up?" Trunks asked. He was only wearing a white tank top and a pair of sweat pants. Hotaru had to hide a blush when she began to calm down from the initial fright.

"Trunks you scared me nearly to death," Bulma reprimanded.

"Sorry."

"We're watching a movie," Minako was smiling a little to brightly for Hotaru's comfort. "Do you want to join us?" Suddenly Hotaru knew she didn't need Rei's gift of insight to know something was going on.

"Yeah, sit down," Bulma was suddenly up and smiling herself. She motioned to the seat she had just been occupying.

Trunks began to look _very _nervous. As his mother continued to smile and motion to the seat he started forward slowly and made his way over. He kept a wary eye on her as though he were worried he was about to be attacked. When he finally did sit down Bulma turned to Minako.

"Come to think of it, Minako should really be in bed with her condition," Bulma said. She grinned down at her. Minako grinned back.

"Yeah, my _condition_," she threw in a very fake cough, "I really should be going to bed. Would you help me up the stairs?"

"Of course dear," Bulma said as she and Minako walked out and closed the door behind them.

Hotaru's eyes were wide in shock as she tried to comprehend what to do. She was so wound up that she nearly screamed when Trunks was suddenly only an inch away from her face.

"You know, both of them are still out there and their listening at the door," Trunks whispered into her ear. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek and forced herself to fight another blush down. He must have realized just how close he was to her because he suddenly straightened and moved down the couch a little more. When she looked up into his face she saw that he was blushing. She noted to herself just how cute he was when he did that.

Wait a minute. She turned to glare at the door. They were still out there. That was just like Minako. She let out a resigned sigh and got up and opened the door. When she did both of them fell into the room. They must have been leaning against before. As the heap of arms and legs sorted itself out she thought she heard Trunks laugh behind her. She had to snicker at the scene.

"All right. All right. We're going," Bulma said as she pulled herself up to leave. As she was leaving Minako leaned in next to Hotaru's ear. "I want details in the morning." This time she didn't blush but she did glare at her as she left.

"Good night," she said to their retreating backs. She closed the door after them and turned around to go back to the couch. When her eyes fell on Trunks she remembered why she felt so nervous. Taking a deep breath she sat down next to him and locked her eyes onto the screen in front of her.

"They're impossible aren't they," it was more of a statement than a question.

Hotaru answered him anyway, "Yeah. Minako was always like this when she's healthy. Especially when she's in matchmaker mode." An uneasy silence followed.

"Mom's been trying to convince me to get out and find a girlfriend for a while," Trunks said quietly.

"I wonder why she thinks you would like me," Hotaru muttered.

"Uh, yeah," Trunks muttered nervously. "So, what sets Minako off into 'matchmaker mode' as you put it?"

"Um," Hotaru stared very hard at the screen in front of her and bit her lip before speaking; "She doesn't get this bad until she's almost positive that one of us likes someone."

"Oh," Trunks said. He paused, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That you…um," she turned to look at him and saw him blushing. It wasn't hard to figure out what he was talking about now and she blushed in response.

"Um yeah," she muttered for a moment. She took a deep breath and steadying her response, "Yes, I like you."

"I like you too."

Hotaru nearly fell off the couch. If he weren't so cute she would have slapped him for getting her to confess first. Lucky for him he was just that cute.

"So," Hotaru had never been in this situation in her life, "What do we do now?"

When she glanced up at Trunks he began to lean in. She could feel his breath on her face. Her eyes slipped closed as she leaned in. When they were only an inch a part, a sudden crash caused them both to leap backwards.

Turning angrily she glared at the mess of blonde hair and limbs on the ground. How often did this happen? They must have been leaning against the door again. It was Usagi and Minako this time. When they had sorted themselves out Minako stood up and shouted, "Are ya going to kiss her or not?!"

Trunks looked like he was in shock. Poor guy. Hotaru's first kiss was certainly about to be memorable. She quickly leaned in and kissed him. She heard victory shouts coming from the two girls at the door.

*~*~*

When they finally landed, it took Rei a few minutes of hanging onto Seventeen to realize that they were indeed on the ground. When she finally did, she removed her arms from his neck and looked around their new surroundings while she waited on him to remove the arm that was still around her waist. He seemed to hesitate at first but when he did remove his arm she stepped away from where she was pressed against him. She almost regretted it when she felt the cool air wrap itself around her. If she had been cold before, she was freezing now.

As she took in her surroundings she realized for the first time that they must have been someplace in the mountains. Nearby she could see into a doorway that led into a side in the mountain. Inside she could see rubble and debris. There were scorch marks around the opening.

Rei turned to Seventeen, "You're handy work?"

He smirked, "My first."

As she thought of the repercussions of that statement her thoughts must have been readable on her face. Seventeen motioned with his head, "You're looking at the birthplace of the androids." He turned his head to regard the remnants of the lab, "Gero never saw it coming." He sounded utterly pleased with himself.

"You're a monster," Rei whispered. She hadn't been planning to say it aloud but it was to late now. Seventeen gave her an annoyed look. There was something about that condescending arrogance of his that just pissed her off and she had had enough of it. "You kill innocent people because it amuses you! How can you do that and live with yourself?!"

"They're human."

"I'm human!" To this Seventeen had nothing to say. He obviously didn't give a damn about anyone but himself and wasn't going to change anytime soon.

'Why am I here anyway?' She had managed to avoid thinking about her kidnapping to give into a few moments of anger but now that the adrenaline had faded and Seventeen was being quiet again she was left nothing to do but to think. She still couldn't imagine why he brought her here. She had been telling herself that it had something to do with some sick game he was planning but something about that just wasn't ringing true in her head. Turning she glared back at the pale blue eyes that had just been tracking her movements. There was only one way to find out.

She marched over to stand directly in front of the android. "Why am I here?"

He just looked at her before wrapping his arm around her waist. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. 'Oh,' she thought vaguely. The kiss was very distracting. For one thing it was taking longer than the first two and for another, to Rei's embarrassment and horror, she was responding. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck and let her eyes slip shut.

If Rei had been in full command of her senses at the time she might have thought to herself, 'This can't be good.' She wasn't, so she didn't.

*~*~*

After they had broken apart Rei had looked up and noticed the sky lightening to purple. It hadn't taken her too long to convince Seventeen to hurry up and get her home. He had dropped her off back into her room and been gone before any of the others had noticed anything was wrong.

When she was alone again she plopped down onto her bed with a tired noise and tried to think through the questions she had been shoving to the back of her mind since the last kiss. 'Does he love me?' It was a ridiculous question since she didn't even think androids could feel emotions. 'Am I falling in love with him?' She felt an odd fluttering in her chest when she thought it and it was immediately followed by a sick feeling in her stomach. This was not good. This was very bad and she had no idea what the hell she was supposed to do.

She rolled over and muffled an irritated scream into her pillow.


	12. Part 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or Sailor Moon. Dragonball Z and all of its characters belong to Akira Toriyama. Sailor Moon and all of its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

Author's Notes: I meant to have this chapter out sooner than this but I haven't had the time. When I finally got a chance to sit down and work on it, it was probably one of the easiest of the chapters I've written.

It was largely a transitional chapter so there won't be as much excitement taking place.

Remember to review. Constructive criticism is accepted and welcomed.

Altered Destinies

Kynthia

Part 12

Rei rubbed her eyes as she tried to wake up. She had managed to grab an hour or so of sleep after getting back. She needed more but after the frightening revelation she had had she was grateful for whatever sleep she could get.

She dragged her feet as she walked to her closet. She needed to get dressed and downstairs before someone came up to check on her. As she reached into her closet to grab a pair of jeans, a premonition hit with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

Her fingers grasped the closet door as she fought to stay on her feet. She was suddenly no longer in her room at Capsule Corporation. She could smell burnt tar and feel a blast of heat slap her in the face. Sand stung her eyes. She felt afraid. The fear wasn't hers but it was there. The predominant emotion was anger. When she came out of it, Rei found herself kneeling on the carpet with her hand in a white knuckled grip on the closet door. The other hand had dug into the carpet by her knees and she forced her grip free as she felt her nails being bent back painfully in the carpet. She rubbed her hands together as she tried to calm herself.

'Danger,' she thought detachedly. Something bad was obviously going to happen. The biggest downside to having premonitions was that they didn't provide dates or pictures of those who would be affected. She'd just have to do what she always did and stay on her toes in case something happened soon. She had had many premonitions that she didn't bother to tell the other girls about. They never knew unless she was sure at least one of them would be affected in some way.

Mechanically Rei stood up and got dressed. She tried to push the premonition and everything happening in her love life to the back of her mind. She tried not to flinch when she realized she had thought the 'L' word.

*~*~*

When Rei got down stairs she was too tired to notice how the chatter taking place in the kitchen seemed livelier than normal or the fact that Hotaru was blushing more than was probably healthy. She merely made her way to the fresh pot of coffee sitting on the counter and poured herself a cup. This was probably one of the best things about moving to Capsule Corp: caffeine.

"When?"

"Last night."

"I can't believe they kissed."

For one horrifying moment in time Rei thought that her friends knew everything and that Usagi had spilled her secret. She was saved from making a complete fool of herself and fainting on the spot by Hotaru.

"It's none of your business what we do!" Hotaru exclaimed. Her face was still beat red.

Taking another sip of her coffee Rei tried to sort things out. She quickly turned around and joined the barrage.

"Did you kiss Trunks?"

Hotaru hid her head behind her arms. She groaned before they heard the thump that signaled her head had just landed on the table.

"Last night," Minako said eagerly. She was obviously ignoring the trauma this was causing their friend.

"Minako and I saw it," Usagi added. She was grinning as much and Minako was.

"I never thought of you as the type to play peeping tom," Rei said before taking another sip of her coffee. She looked at the dark liquid in her mug and not at the angry blonde that was now standing and pointing a shaky finger at her.

"We were doing no such thing!" Usagi shouted. Her grin was suddenly gone.

Minako was still seated and appeared to be giving something a great deal of thought. "Technically we're not. At least I don't think so. We were trying to hear things, not see them." She appeared not to notice the incredulous looks that Makoto and Rei gave her, the way Ami's eyes got a little big, or the way Hotaru groaned from behind her folded arms.

"Not like that you perverts!" Usagi shrieked after realizing what her friends might have made of Minako's remark.

"Of course not," Rei remarked dryly.

"It's not."

"Sure." Rei wandered into the living room with Usagi trailing behind her trying to proclaim her innocence. Leave it to Usagi to take her mind off of things.

*~*~*

When Trunks finally left the relative safety of the gravity room he found Hotaru waiting for him. He looked around quickly to make sure that none of her weird friends were around before doing anything else. When he realized that the coast was clear he blushed and wondered if her was supposed to kiss her now.

Hotaru made him nervous for several reasons. She was the first girl he ever thought he was seriously beginning to fall for and then there was the little fact that they had to live together. He was damn near terrified of doing the wrong thing and then there was the little fact that the majority of her friends were as pushy as his mom and just as nuts.

She came to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. She was blushing. She quickly looked around to see if anyone were looking.

"About last night," she said nervously. Trunks unconsciously straightened. "Um, my friends can be kind of annoying sometimes. And…"

He waited for her to finish but she seemed to have become fascinated by the carpet and was unable to answer. "And," he prompted.

"Well," Hotaru once again began, "that had been my first kiss."

"Oh." Trunks had no idea what he was supposed to say to that. "Did you…"

"I was thinking," she said as though he hadn't spoken, "that maybe we could try again." She looked around the hallway and back to him, "Preferably without an audience this time."

He chuckled slightly, "It didn't turn out to be a very private moment did it."

"They told everyone this morning," she groaned. It was easy to tell that this bothered her. Her personal life was the hot topic for discussion and that would make anyone annoyed.

"They're not here now," he said with a grin. He leaned forward and put his hands on her shoulders. They're faces were inches away before they swiftly came back to their surroundings.

"Hotaru!"

"I spoke too soon," Trunks muttered before glancing around. He caught sight of the control panel for the gravity room. The extra gravity was turned off so for the moment it was just another room. He had an idea. He wrapped an arm around Hotaru's waist and pulled her in after him. "They won't find us in here."

*~*~*

Rei and Minako sat on the back step of Capsule Corp and looked out across the yard. It would be night soon and the sky was already turning purple.

"It's so weird thinking about Hotaru with someone," Rei muttered aloud.

"I know," Minako said softly, "I didn't think anything this remotely normal would ever happen to us." Her eyes sparkled with sudden mischief and Rei began to feel nervous. She slid a little away from where Minako was sitting next to her.

"What? You're giving me a look."

Minako suddenly clapped her hands together in front of her. "Now I just need to find someone for Ami, Usagi, Makoto, and you."

"No." Rei said in a final manner. Her life was complicated enough without adding some guy who hadn't asked for any of this to be dumped on him.

"One reason." Minako said as she crossed her arms.

"Shouldn't you be trying to find yourself a boyfriend?" Rei asked in hopes of throwing Minako onto another trail.

"One day my prince will come," Minako said in an almost defiant manner. "And in the mean time I have to take care of my friends," she said in her normal cheerful tone.

"Prince?" Rei asked. "Prince of what?"

"Hmm. He doesn't have to be a prince as long as he gives me that feeling," Minako said. She turned her head to stare at the stars.

"That feeling?" Rei asked. She started to get her own feeling and it resembled food poisoning.

"You know that _feeling_," Minako said slowly as though she were talking to a very slow learner. At Rei's blank expression she sighed and tried to explain more, "That feeling that makes you feel special, tingly, and wanted." She had a wistful grin on her face.

Rei felt like she was going to be sick. She was beginning to have flashbacks to the night before. They weren't all unpleasant. Damn it.

*~*~*

"Wahoo!" Bulma stood up and shouted in triumph. Ami, who had been sitting merely a table a way in the large lab, nearly fell off of her stool in surprise.

"I take it you're finished," Ami said as she tried to calm her nerves.

"Yep!"

Ami eyed the creation on the table. It vaguely resembled a handgun but with many attachments that seemed to spring from the barrel without any sort of pattern. It was designed to destabilize energy in individuals. She had helped with the designs.

"Do you think it will work?"

"I'm sure it will but we have no way to be sure without one of the androids."

"I hope it will help."

"So do I."


End file.
